Earthquake drill: the sixty seconds you should practise before you need them

An earthquake gives no warning you can plan around. When the ground starts moving, there is no time to look up what to do. The only response that works then is one already practised until automatic.

That is what a drill is for: training your body to do three things, in the same order, every time — Drop, Cover, and Hold On. ShakeOut guidance uses exactly those three words, and under shaking, simple instructions are the only ones that survive. This guide walks through those steps, common mistakes, and what to do after shaking stops. It is a drill guide, not news about any particular earthquake, and it applies anywhere in the world.

Drop, Cover, Hold On — in plain words

Drop to your hands and knees. This puts you low, where you are less likely to be knocked over. Do not try to stay standing through strong shaking, and do not try to run: the danger indoors comes mainly from falling objects, breaking glass, and being thrown off balance while moving.

Cover your head and neck under a sturdy desk or table, if one is within reach — crawl under it, rather than walking across the room to find one. If there is none nearby, crouch against an interior wall, away from windows, and protect your head and neck with both arms.

Hold On to the desk or table leg until the shaking stops. If the furniture moves, move with it. If you are against a wall, stay in position, keep your head and neck covered, and wait — do not get up or move to another room while the ground is still moving.

In a drill, ShakeOut guidance is to stay down for at least sixty seconds, then look around for anything that could fall in a real earthquake — a heavy frame, an unsecured bookcase, a hanging light — and secure or move it. A drill that only practises the crouch, and never prompts that look around the room, has done only half its job.

The doorway myth — do not stand in one

One of the most persistent pieces of earthquake advice is also one of the most wrong: stand in a doorway. In older houses, a doorway frame could be one of the stronger parts of the structure. In modern buildings, it is not — it offers no protection against falling objects, the main danger indoors, and it puts you in the path of a door that can swing violently during shaking.

The same logic applies to the rest of the room: stay away from windows, mirrors, and glass doors, which can shatter, and from tall furniture and kitchen cabinets holding heavy or glass items. Do not shelter under a hanging light fitting. The safest place indoors is under something sturdy that can take a falling object for you, or, failing that, low against an interior wall with your head and neck covered.

Do not use a lift during or immediately after an earthquake: lifts can stop, lose power, or open onto a damaged floor. Use the stairs, and only when the shaking has stopped. And do not run outside while the ground is moving. The area just outside a building — where masonry, glass, and roof tiles fall — is often more dangerous than the room you just left.

If you are outdoors or driving

If you are outdoors, move to a clear, open area, away from buildings, power lines, trees, and signs, and drop and cover your head and neck until the shaking stops. Do not shelter under an overhang, a bridge, or a tree. If you are driving, pull over slowly to a clear area, stop, set the parking brake, and stay inside, seat belt on, until the shaking stops. Do not stop under a bridge, overpass, power lines, or a traffic sign, and do not try to drive through the shaking.

In both cases, the principle is the same: stop moving, get low, protect your head and neck, and wait. Practise the outdoor and driving versions too, so nobody has to improvise them during real shaking.

Practising with children, older people, and people with limited mobility

A drill only protects a household if everyone in it can do it. With children, practise the three steps as a game with a fixed signal — a word, a whistle, or a phone alarm — so the response is triggered by the signal, not by a discussion about whether the shaking is serious enough. Practise in different rooms, and getting under the nearest sturdy furniture, not walking to a favourite spot.

For older people and people with limited mobility, adapt the cover step rather than skipping the drill. Someone who uses a wheelchair can lock the wheels, bend forward, and cover their head and neck with their arms. Someone who cannot get under a table can crouch or sit against an interior wall, away from windows, and cover their head and neck. Someone in bed can stay there, cover their head and neck with a pillow, and wait for the shaking to stop, rather than trying to move during it. The point of adapting is not to lower the standard: it is to make sure every person has a practised action they can actually carry out when the ground moves.

After the shaking stops

When the shaking stops, do not assume it is over. Aftershocks are common, and they can be strong enough to bring down objects already weakened by the main shock, so stay alert and be ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On again. Check yourself and others for injuries. Only check gas, water, or electricity if it is safe to do so and you know how; if you smell gas, leave the building and do not switch lights or appliances on or off. Use the stairs, not the lift, and do not re-enter a damaged building until it has been checked.

Then follow your local official guidance. Warnings and evacuation instructions depend on where you are and what has been affected; a worldwide guide can teach the drill, but it cannot replace the authorities where you are standing. If you are on the coast and the shaking was strong or long, a tsunami is a separate danger — move to high ground immediately, without waiting for a siren — but that should not delay the drill itself.

What our records show, and what they miss

Our recent earthquake coverage has been event coverage, from the Hindu Kush to Vanuatu. What those records show is where earthquakes struck. What they miss is the quiet preparation before any of them — the drill, the secured furniture, the household that has agreed what to do. This guide is that missing piece.

The short version

  • Drop to your hands and knees; do not try to stand or run through shaking.
  • Cover your head and neck under a sturdy desk or table, or against an interior wall if there is none nearby.
  • Hold On until the shaking stops, and move with the furniture if it moves.
  • Do not stand in a doorway, do not use a lift, and do not run outside while the ground is moving.
  • Afterwards, expect aftershocks, check for injuries and hazards, use the stairs, and follow local official guidance.

Related guides: tsunami safety after shaking, choking first aid, never drive through floodwater, Cyclone Arnab and black ice driving.

Practise it this week, in the room you use most, with the people you live with.