Earthquake tips: Here's what to do and what not to do when the ground shakes

For several seconds on Friday, millions of people across the eastern United States were caught off guard.

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake that shook the ground from Boston to New York to Baltimore caused East Coast residents to make a split-second decision about what to do when the ground shakes — and demonstrated their confusion about a phenomenon typically seen as a West Coast problem.

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

Several aftershocks have occurred and are likely to occur over the next week, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

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

Get down, take cover, and hold: Get down on all fours and take cover under a desk or table. Hold on to the leg of the furniture with one hand, and cover your neck and head with the other hand. If you can't reach a table, lean against an interior wall and cover your head with both arms. Stay away from windows. Stay away from chandeliers, ceiling fans, space heaters, bookcases, and wardrobes, and stay away from any heavy objects that could fall on you. “The main source of injury during earthquakes is falling objects or broken windows,” said Timothy Bechtel, professor of earth sciences at Franklin and Marshall College. If you're in bed, stay there and cover your head and neck with pillows, recommends the American Red Cross. Don't leave the bed unless you're under a light fixture or fan, Bechtel said. If you have a baby, get down on all fours with the baby underneath you and move under furniture, Bechtel advised. Cover the child with your body, and yourself with a desk or table. For older kids, it “may not be a bad idea” to do quick earthquake drills so they know how to land and cover.

A USGS expert explains why earthquakes on the East Coast are rare and more common than their counterparts on the West Coast. (Video: Hyojong Kim/The Washington Post)

Move to an open area. Stay as far away from power lines and buildings as possible. Windows, awnings and other fixtures can fall from buildings. “The best thing is to go in the middle of an open parking lot or park and wait for the shaking to end,” said Manouchehr Sherzai, a professor of geophysics at Virginia Tech to monitor people and cars. If there's no risk of colliding with others, move as quickly as possible, Sherzaei advised. You can also crawl to avoid falling. In a big city like New York, an intersection may be the safest place to park, but only if you won't run into traffic, Bechtel says. Do not go out if you are in a building unless there is immediate danger. “Many times injuries occur as people rush out of buildings,” Sherzai said. Stop safely. The USGS advises staying clear of traffic if possible, but do not stop under trees, street lights, power lines, or signs. Stay in your car until the earthquake stops. If you're on a bridge or overpass, keep driving until you stop, the USGS says. Individual bridges may have signs providing seismic directions. If you're driving down a slope, don't stop, Bechtel says, because rockslides can occur.

No deaths or serious injuries were reported after Friday's earthquake, whose epicenter was in northern New Jersey. No major damage was reported, and major transportation systems were not damaged. As the danger passed, the quake quickly spawned jokes, memes and even merchandise.

The area experienced several aftershocks, including a 3.8-magnitude earthquake on Friday evening and a smaller earthquake early Saturday morning. As of Saturday, the US Geological Survey predicted a 60% chance of at least one aftershock of magnitude 3 or greater.

Should the East Coast expect earthquakes?

Although earthquakes larger than magnitude 3 are less common on the East Coast, the region regularly feels small quakes and, less frequently, larger quakes, according to the USGS. Because of the geology east of the Rocky Mountains, earthquakes are felt over much larger areas — up to 10 times the area that an earthquake of the same magnitude would be felt on the West Coast, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Those that occur in the east, like Friday's quake and the larger Virginia quake in 2011, tend not to cause major damage, Bechtel said, meaning residents shouldn't worry.

Sherzai said the New Jersey earthquake was “as big as it could possibly be” for the region.

“The probability of a larger earthquake occurring on the East Coast is very small. From a scientific point of view, it is close to zero.” “So don’t panic.”

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