Earthquake Safety Tips

It is a lovely morning; the sun is shining bright, the sky is blue and cloudless, the birds are twittering and you are sipping your hot cup of coffee. Suddenly, you sense a jolt and feel your comfortable sofa swinging from side to side like a cradle. Before you can even realize what is happening, you feel the tremors getting stronger and find yourself being gripped by fear. A strong earthquake is jolting the senses right out of you! In a panicky situation, usually your mind races as to what to do, though you don’t really seem to come to a conclusion. Given here are a few earthquake safety tips, which, when kept in mind can help you be safe during an earthquake.

• Earthquakes can be very scary and can make any relaxed person tensed immensely. But you need to keep your mind stable in order to make sure you are safe. Be calm and try not to run here and there.
• Take time to move out in the open away from buildings and electric wires, if you are outside. If you manage to come out of your house, go to an open space like a garden or a park where you will be a lot safer.
• If you live quite some floors above in your building, try to seek shelter near a bulky object such as a sofa. Curl up and sit on the floor and make sure you are not near a window, mirror, fireplace, gas stove or have heavy paintings or wall hangings above you. Avoid using the lift or escalators.
• Some people say you should stand on a doorway. That is just not the case. Heavens forbid, if the doorway jambs are weak, they might fall on you, crushing and killing you almost instantly. Also, if people want to pass through that door, you may trap them and yourself by standing there. Leave all doorways free.
• Another important thing to keep in mind is that you must not climb down the stairs during an earthquake. Stairs can swing wildly, due to fact they don’t have beams or pillars supporting them. They have the maximum chances of collapsing even if the building remains intact. In case the tremors stop, after a few seconds, just climb down the stairs at a rapid pace and move out of the building, but don’t run.
• Earthquakes usually crack gas pipes and snap electrical wires. If you smell gas at your place, open all windows and let it out. Turn off the main gas valve to stop any more gas leakage. Don’t light candles or lighters and create an even bigger disaster.
• If you are driving and feel a jolt, stop your car at the side of the road and get out. Make sure you are not on a bridge, under a flyover or near electric cables. Bridges and overhead roads have the maximum dangers of falling.