Many cities, industrial centers, and populated areas of our planet are located in areas that are prone to severe earthquakes. Residents of cities and other settlements located in seismic zones should be trained from their early school days in the basics of behavior and actions before, during, and after an earthquake. To date, this is the only way to save the lives of many people during an earthquake.

Bright Side prepared recommendations for how to prevent damage and behave in case of an earthquake.

Make your house your fortress.

If you live in a seismologically hazardous area, it is better to be prepared for earthquakes. Check your area on the site http://temblor.net/. Here you can see if there are any landslides near you. Be aware of the danger. Follow the next instructions, and make your house your fortress:

1. If you’re in a building:

If you feel the vibrations of the building, observe falling objects, or hear the growing rumble and ringing of breaking glass, don’t panic. Try to reassure others. Don’t leave the building during an earthquake.

2. If you’re outside:

Be ready to help people. During shocks, don’t enter buildings, and don’t run around them.

3. If you’re in a car:

Being in a car during an earthquake is dangerous. Panic on the road can turn into a serious accident. So:

4. If you’re on the beach or another shore:

If you feel the shocks, don’t wait for warnings from special services or officials. An earthquake can trigger a tsunami. So it’s better to:

5. If you’re in a wheelchair:

Look around for shelter. Try to get there as soon as possible. Then:

If an earthquake hasn’t occurred in your city, read the public recommendations for people using a cane, walker, or wheelchair here.

6. If you’re in a stadium:

Stay where you are. It is better not to panic in a crowd.

7. If you’re in an elevator:

If you are thinking about using an elevator to leave the building during an earthquake, better discard this thought. Stay in the building, or use a ladder if necessary. The fact is that electricity during an earthquake is unstable and can be disconnected. If you are caught unaware, then take the following actions:

8. If you’re in bed

Sometimes earthquakes happen at night. If you’re woken by shocks and realize that you’re experiencing an earthquake, try to do the following:

9. If you’re under debris

If the situation develops in such a way that during or after the earthquake you become trapped and can’t get out from beneath the debris of a building, or anything else, act as follows:

Overall evacuation rules

Evacuation is one of the ways to protect the population in case of natural disasters, major industrial accidents, and disasters. If you received a notification of the beginning of an evacuation, you should:

Please follow these recommendations, and share them with your family and friends. If you have anything you’d like to add to this list, please tell us in the comments, and we’ll be sure to highlight your useful advice!

Illustrated by Sergey Raskovalov for BrightSide.me