What to do — and not do — in an earthquake

“New Yorkers are not accustomed to having earthquakes,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) said in a video address Friday evening, providing safety tips.

Several aftershocks have occurred, and they continue to be likely within the next week, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Here’s what to do in an earthquake, according to the USGS, Red Cross and researchers.

If you’re indoors:

• Drop, cover and hold on: Drop to all fours and take cover under a desk or a table. Hang on to a leg of the furniture with one hand, and cover your neck and head with the other.
• If you can’t get to a table, crouch against an interior wall and cover your head with both arms.
• Move away from windows. Stay away from chandeliers, ceiling fans, fireplaces, bookcases and dressers — steer clear of any heavy objects that could fall onto you. “The main source of injuries during earthquakes is from things falling or from windows breaking,” said Timothy Bechtel, a geosciences professor at Franklin and Marshall College.
• If you’re in bed, stay there and cover your head and neck with pillows, the American Red Cross recommends. Leave the bed only if you’re underneath a light or fan fixture, Bechtel said.
• If you have a baby, drop to all fours with the child under you and move under furniture, Bechtel advised. Cover the baby with your body, and cover yourself with a desk or table.
• For older children, Bechtel said, “it might not be a bad idea” to do a quick earthquake drill so they know how to drop and cover.”

If you’re outdoors:

• Move into an open area. Get as far away as possible from power lines and buildings. Windows, awnings and other fixtures can fall from buildings. “Best would be to go in the middle of an open parking lot or lawn and wait for the shaking to be over,” said Manoochehr Shirzaei, a geophysics professor at Virginia Tech.
• Watch for people and cars. If there’s no danger of colliding with others, move as fast as possible, Shirzaei advised. You can also crawl to avoid falling. In a big city like New York, an intersection may be the safest place to stand, but only if you won’t run into moving traffic, Bechtel said.
• Don’t go outside if you’re in a building unless there is immediate danger. “Very often we have injuries happening during people rushing out of buildings,” Shirzaei said.

If you’re driving:

• Stop safely. Move out of traffic if possible, but don’t stop under trees, streetlights, power lines or signs, the USGS advises. Stay in your car until the quake stops.
• If you’re on a bridge or overpass, continue driving until you’re off, the USGS says. Individual bridges may have signs providing earthquake directions. If you’re driving along a cliff, don’t stop, Bechtel said, because rockslides can occur.

Background

No fatalities or major injuries were reported after Friday’s earthquake, whose epicenter was in northern New Jersey. No significant damage was reported, and major transit systems were not damaged. With the danger passed, the temblor quickly spawned jokes, memes and even merch.

The area has experienced several aftershocks, including a 3.8-magnitude quake Friday evening and smaller ones early Saturday morning. As of Saturday, the USGS predicted about a 60 percent chance of at least one aftershock of a magnitude of 3 or higher.

Should the East Coast expect earthquakes?

Though earthquakes above 3 magnitude are less common on the East Coast, the region regularly feels small quakes and, less frequently, larger ones, according to the USGS. Because of the geology east of the Rocky Mountains, earthquakes are felt across much larger areas — up to 10 times larger than the area in which an earthquake of similar strength would be felt on the West Coast, according to the USGS.

Those that happen in the east, such as Friday’s and a larger 2011 temblor in Virginia, tend not to cause much damage, Bechtel said, meaning residents shouldn’t worry.

The New Jersey earthquake “was almost as big as it can get” for the region, Shirzaei said.

“The likelihood of having a larger earthquake on the East Coast is very, very small. From a scientific perspective, it’s almost near zero,” he said. “So you don’t need to panic.”