1. Register Wednesday, May 28, 2014 News 3
1
Sources: KTLA-TV, Earthquake Country Alliance, U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones, California Dept. of Conservation, American Red Cross, Ready.gov, LiveScience, COMPILED BY CHARLES APPLE, FOCUS PAGE EDITOR
DROP
IFYOUARE...
DROPPINGANDCOVERING
The two KTLA anchors who dove under their desk
during an early-morning earthquake this spring might
have made for an amusing viral video.
But the fact is, they did the right – and smart – thing.
Get to your hands and
knees fast — before the
earthquake knocks you
down.
WHATNOTTODODO NOT run outside
or into another room.
The areas near the
exterior walls of a
building are the most
dangerous places to be.
DO NOT stand in a
doorway. This might have
been good advice in the
days of old wood-frame
homes or adobe homes,
but no longer.
DO NOT follow the “triangle
of life” you may have seen via
email or social media. The
“triangle of life” and its author
have been discredited by experts
and the American Red Cross.
COVERCover yourself. Cover your
entire body, preferably, but
at the very least, protect
your head and neck with
your arms and hands.
HOLDONHold on until the shaking
stops. If you’re under a desk
and the shaking moves the
desk a little, be prepared to
move with it.
S
o, you have an earthquake survival kit and you’ve made arrangements
on how to link up with your family in case you’re separated during a
quake. But what do you do while an earthquake is in progress?
Above all else, remember three things, experts say ...
March 17,
6:25 a.m.
KTLA
Morning
News
anchors
Megan
Henderson
and Chris
Schauble
were just
about to go
to a
commercial ...
... when,
suddenly,
everything
began
shaking.
It’s an
earthquake!
It took the
anchors only
a moment or
so to realize
what was
happening.
They both
dove
beneath
their desk as
other studio
personnel
also sought
cover.
“OK, it
appears to
have
stopped,”
Schauble
said as he
and
Henderson
carefully
climbed back
into their
seats.
Schauble
began calling
up the online
report from
the U.S.
Geological
Survey as
Henderson
listened to
chatter in
the control
room and
nervously
glanced at
the reason
for the
scramble ...
... the heavy
lights and
equipment
suspended
directly over
the anchor
desk — any
of which
could fall in
a strong
earthquake.
thefirst
20seconds
AND, FINALLY...
Good luck getting a cellphone
signal. Instead, send a text
message. Texting takes less
bandwidth and, therefore, is
more likely to get through.
IN A
HIGH-
RISE
Drop, cover
and hold on.
Avoid
windows.
Do not get on
an elevator.
Don’t be
surprised if
sprinkler
systems or
fire alarms
activate.
IN A
STORE
Get under a
shopping
cart or even
a clothing
rack. Drop
to the
ground first
and crawl.
Look up —
avoid things
that look
like they
could fall.
OUT-
SIDE
Avoid
power
lines,
trees or
signs.
Stay
away
from
buildings.
DRIVING
Pull over and
stop. Avoid
bridges and
overpasses.
Stay in your
vehicle until
the shaking
stops. If a
power line
falls on your
vehicle,
don’t try to
get out. Wait
for help.
IN A
THEATER
Drop to the
floor
between the
seats and
cover until
the shaking
stops. Don’t
try to walk
during an
earthquake.
AT THE
BEACH
Don’t move
until the
shaking
stops.
Because
there is no
big subduc-
tion zone off
the coast, a
tsunami is
unlikely. Still,
make your
way inland.
THE BEST
PLACE TO BE
Under a desk or heavy table.
Even if your ceiling were to
collapse, the table likely would
create an “empty spot” where you
could be safe until help comes.
Your second choice: get down
near an interior wall. Interior
walls are less likely to
collapse than exterior walls.
Stay away from windows.
ONE OF THE
WORST PLACES
TO BE
Your kitchen: Cabinets
full of dishes and
heavy appliances can
fall on you at any time.
The greatest danger during
the earthquake is from falling
objects. Stay away from ...
Bookcases —
they fall away
from the wall
Mirrors or
wall-mounted
TV sets
Lamps
or other
fixtures
Assemble an earthquake preparedness kit:
tinyurl.com/ocregquake02
Learn how to contact your family
in case you’re separated:
tinyurl.com/ocregquake01
MORE TIPS
EARTHQUAKE