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What not to do during an earthquake: Packing list for the first not earthquake handoff

Not earthquake: pack evacuation wording and utilities where it stays reachable; leave comfort extras until not earthquake has a clear stop point for this group.

Check local alerts first.Official warnings, evacuation orders, resort rules, park notices, and emergency services override this general guide.

Emergency plan

What to pack or keep reachable for what not to do during an earthquake

Start with the biggest wrong moves: do not run outside, use elevators, stand in windows or doorways by default, or inspect hazards during shaking. Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop. Write the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls.

Do first

Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop. Explain why leaving during shaking can add stairs, glass, falling exterior hazards, and crowd pressure. Exterior hazards. Stay with protective action. Use earthquake guidance to make the page a mistake-prevention article that protects the first seconds. Write the owner, stop point, and next handoff where the group can see it before the situation becomes harder to shorten.

Stop or get help

Do not create a technical exception guide for every building type, doorway, stairwell, balcony, or utility condition. Do not teach rescue, structural assessment, gas shutoff, electrical inspection, medical care, or re-entry decisions. Do not replace official earthquake guidance with a list of clever exceptions or building-specific judgments. Do not give rescue, gas shutoff, electrical, structural, medical, re-entry, or cleanup instructions. Medical care, search and rescue, utilities, damaged buildings, and cleanup require qualified or official help.

Then read

Start with the biggest wrong moves: do not run outside, use elevators, stand in windows or doorways by default, or inspect hazards during shaking. Explain why leaving during shaking can add stairs, glass, falling exterior hazards, and crowd pressure. Explain why leaving during shaking can add stairs, glass, falling exterior hazards, and crowd pressure.

Household tools on a work surface — Pexels public-library photo. Illustrative image; check local conditions before acting.

Short answer

Which earthquake instincts should people avoid because they steal time, add hazards, create confusion, or belong to trained responders after shaking? Open by saying the page prevents the first few wrong moves, not every earthquake consequence. Group myths by timing: during shaking, immediately after shaking, and later property pressure. Explain the safer replacement action for each myth without overcomplicating the reader's response. Include pets, children, photos, elevators, stairs, windows, candles, and utility temptations as concrete examples.

Which earthquake instincts should people avoid because they steal time, add hazards, create confusion, or belong to trained responders after shaking? The reader has heard conflicting earthquake advice and wants to know which common instincts are unsafe during shaking or immediately after. They may be unsure about doorways, stairs, windows, elevators, running outside, grabbing pets, checking gas, taking photos, or using candles. Start with the biggest wrong moves: do not run outside, use elevators, stand in windows or doorways by default, or inspect hazards during shaking. This page is for the confusing moment when old earthquake advice competes with safer current guidance.

1What is the situation?They may be unsure about doorways, stairs, windows, elevators, running outside, grabbing pets, checking gas, taking photos, or using candles. Why running outside, doorways
2Do not run outsideReplace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop. Explain why leaving during
3Do not chase mythsStart with the biggest wrong moves: do not run outside, use elevators, stand in windows or doorways by default, or inspect hazards during shaking.
4When should I stop or get help?Do not create a technical exception guide for every building type, doorway, stairwell, balcony, or utility condition. Do not teach rescue, structural assessment, gas

What to watch

What to pack or keep reachable for what not to do during an earthquake

Problem

Which earthquake instincts should people avoid because they steal time, add hazards, create confusion, or belong to trained responders after shaking?

They may be unsure about doorways, stairs, windows, elevators, running outside, grabbing pets, checking gas, taking photos, or using candles. Why running outside, doorways as a default, stairs, elevators, windows, and grabbing belongings can make the first seconds worse. How to replace each unsafe impulse with the simpler protective action and a calmer after-shaking sequence.

First move

Do not run outside

Judgment

Do not chase myths

Group myths by timing: during shaking, immediately after shaking, and later property pressure.

Use this point to choose what changes now, what can wait, and where the page should hand off to local instructions, posted rules, or qualified help.

Boundary

When should I stop using a checklist?

Detailed answer

Do not run outside

Key questions

Which earthquake instincts should people avoid because they steal time, add hazards, create confusion, or belong to trained responders after shaking?

Which earthquake instincts should people avoid because they steal time, add hazards, create confusion, or belong to trained responders after shaking? Open by saying the page prevents the first few wrong moves, not every earthquake consequence. Group myths by timing: during shaking, immediately after shaking, and later property pressure. Explain the safer replacement action for each myth without overcomplicating the reader's response. Include pets, children, photos, elevators, stairs, windows, candles, and utility temptations as concrete examples.

Which earthquake instincts should people avoid because they steal time, add hazards, create confusion, or belong to trained responders after shaking?
How should the reader handle this: Why running outside, doorways as a default, stairs, elevators, windows, and grabbing belongings can make the first seconds worse.?
How should the reader handle this: How to replace each unsafe impulse with the simpler protective action and a calmer after-shaking sequence.?
How should the reader handle this: When post-shaking concerns such as fire, gas odor, injury, blocked exits, or serious damage become emergency or professional handoffs.?
What changes when the page reaches do not run outside?

Do not run outside

Explain why leaving during shaking can add stairs, glass, falling exterior hazards, and crowd pressure. Exterior hazards. Stay with protective action. Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop. Use earthquake guidance to make the page a mistake-prevention article that protects the first seconds. Why running outside, doorways as a default, stairs, elevators, windows, and grabbing belongings can make the first seconds worse.

Do not chase myths

Address doorway defaults, windows, elevators, stairs, pets, and belongings without creating confusing exceptions. Doorway myth. Elevator risk. Write the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls. Use planning guidance to show that many tempting actions can wait until roles and official instructions are clear. How to replace each unsafe impulse with the simpler protective action and a calmer after-shaking sequence.

Do not inspect hazards

Separate noticing danger from touching utilities, cracks, panels, heavy debris, or damaged rooms. Gas odor boundary. No inspection. Place shoes, flashlight, and contacts where the household can reach them before crossing glass or debris. Use kit guidance to support safer after-shaking movement without turning supplies into permission to inspect. When post-shaking concerns such as fire, gas odor, injury, blocked exits, or serious damage become emergency or professional handoffs.

Do not start with property

Put people, shoes, light, communication, and official instructions ahead of photos, cleanup, and appliances. People before photos. Kit support. Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop. Use earthquake guidance to make the page a mistake-prevention article that protects the first seconds. Why running outside, doorways as a default, stairs, elevators, windows, and grabbing belongings can make the first seconds worse.

How should the reader handle this: Why running outside, doorways as a default, stairs, elevators, windows, and grabbing belongings can make the first seconds worse.?

Do not run outside

For what not to do during an earthquake, compare exterior hazards with stay with protective action before choosing the next action.

Explain why leaving during shaking can add stairs, glass, falling exterior hazards, and crowd pressure. This page is for the confusing moment when old earthquake advice competes with safer current guidance. It does not try to judge every building, doorway, stairwell, balcony, or utility condition. Its job is to remove the most dangerous first instincts: running outside, using elevators, standing by windows, using doorways as a default answer, grabbing belongings, checking utilities during shaking, or starting with property before people or pets nearby inside. Keep the first move simple. Exterior hazards.

Exterior hazards

Explain why leaving during shaking can add stairs, glass, falling exterior hazards, and crowd pressure. Exterior hazards. Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop. Earthquake myth-correction should discourage running outside, using elevators, moving toward windows, and inspecting hazards during shaking.

Stay with protective action

Do not create a technical exception guide for every building type, doorway, stairwell, balcony, or utility condition. We do not decide school pickup, evacuation routes, custody rules, or building clearance for the reader. Schools, workplaces, landlords, shelters, emergency managers, and local authorities override household preferences.

How should the reader handle this: How to replace each unsafe impulse with the simpler protective action and a calmer after-shaking sequence.?

Do not chase myths

For what not to do during an earthquake, compare doorway myth with elevator risk before choosing the next action.

Address doorway defaults, windows, elevators, stairs, pets, and belongings without creating confusing exceptions. Running outside during shaking can put you on stairs, under glass, near building facades, beside power lines, or in crowded exits while objects are still moving. The safer replacement is simpler: get low, protect head and neck, use sturdy cover when available, and hold on until shaking stops. If you are already outside, move away from buildings, trees, streetlights, and utility wires when you can do so without crossing new hazards. Doorway myth. Elevator risk. Write the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls.

Doorway myth

Address doorway defaults, windows, elevators, stairs, pets, and belongings without creating confusing exceptions. Doorway myth. Write the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls. Household planning helps replace unsafe improvisation with agreed roles after shaking stops. How to replace each unsafe impulse with the simpler protective action and a calmer after-shaking sequence.

Elevator risk

Do not teach rescue, structural assessment, gas shutoff, electrical inspection, medical care, or re-entry decisions. We do not say kit items allow entry into damaged rooms, utility spaces, or unsafe exits. Medical care, search and rescue, utilities, damaged buildings, and cleanup require qualified or official help.

How should the reader handle this: When post-shaking concerns such as fire, gas odor, injury, blocked exits, or serious damage become emergency or professional handoffs.?

Do not inspect hazards

For what not to do during an earthquake, compare gas odor boundary with no inspection before choosing the next action.

Separate noticing danger from touching utilities, cracks, panels, heavy debris, or damaged rooms. Doorways, elevators, windows, stairs, pets, and valuables create many earthquake myths because each one feels urgent. Do not move to a doorway just because you remember an old rule. Do not use elevators. Do not run toward windows to look. Do not cross a room for a pet or phone while objects are falling. Talk to children in short commands if they can hear you, but do not trade your protection for a complicated rescue plan. Gas odor boundary.

Gas odor boundary

Separate noticing danger from touching utilities, cracks, panels, heavy debris, or damaged rooms. Gas odor boundary. Place shoes, flashlight, and contacts where the household can reach them before crossing glass or debris. Reachable shoes, light, phone power, and contacts reduce the temptation to move through hazards unprepared after shaking.

No inspection

Do not create a technical exception guide for every building type, doorway, stairwell, balcony, or utility condition. We do not certify that any location is safe, evaluate buildings, or teach rescue, repair, or utility handling. Emergency services, building officials, utilities, school rules, and workplace procedures control decisions beyond the immediate action.

What changes when the page reaches do not run outside?

Do not start with property

For what not to do during an earthquake, compare people before photos with kit support before choosing the next action.

Put people, shoes, light, communication, and official instructions ahead of photos, cleanup, and appliances. After shaking, notice obvious stop signs without becoming an inspector. Fire, gas odor, sparks, downed lines, blocked exits, broken stairs, leaning walls, or trapped people need emergency, utility, building, or local authority help. Do not touch panels, shut valves because an article said so, move heavy debris, enter damaged rooms, climb to check cracks, or light candles near unknown hazards. Shoes, light, and short communication come before investigation or cleanup. People before photos. Kit support. Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop.

People before photos

Put people, shoes, light, communication, and official instructions ahead of photos, cleanup, and appliances. People before photos. Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop. Earthquake myth-correction should discourage running outside, using elevators, moving toward windows, and inspecting hazards during shaking.

Kit support

Do not teach rescue, structural assessment, gas shutoff, electrical inspection, medical care, or re-entry decisions. We do not decide school pickup, evacuation routes, custody rules, or building clearance for the reader. Schools, workplaces, landlords, shelters, emergency managers, and local authorities override household preferences. For support, the deciding detail is the condition that changes the next action, not the longest list of possible hazards.

What changes when the page reaches do not chase myths?

Know who takes over

For what not to do during an earthquake, compare not earthquake know help point before improvising with official instructions before choosing the next action.

Route fire, injury, trapped people, blocked exits, utilities, building questions, and school rules to authorities. Photos, shelves, appliances, insurance notes, and cleanup can wait until people are safe and instructions are clearer. Check injuries, children, older adults, pets, mobility needs, and exits first. Send one short status message if phones work. Follow school, workplace, apartment, shelter, utility, and local emergency instructions. If there is injury, fire, gas odor, trapped people, blocked exits, or serious damage, the page ends and official or professional help takes over. Emergency help. Official instructions. Write the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls.

Not earthquake know help point before improvising

Route fire, injury, trapped people, blocked exits, utilities, building questions, and school rules to authorities. Emergency help. Write the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls. Household planning helps replace unsafe improvisation with agreed roles after shaking stops. How to replace each unsafe impulse with the simpler protective action and a calmer after-shaking sequence.

Official instructions

Do not create a technical exception guide for every building type, doorway, stairwell, balcony, or utility condition. We do not say kit items allow entry into damaged rooms, utility spaces, or unsafe exits. Medical care, search and rescue, utilities, damaged buildings, and cleanup require qualified or official help.

When this fits

Choose the visible items that keep the plan usable for not earthquake.

They may be unsure about doorways, stairs, windows, elevators, running outside, grabbing pets, checking gas, taking photos, or using candles. Running outside during shaking can put you on stairs, under glass, near building facades, beside power lines, or in crowded exits while objects are still moving. The safer replacement is simpler: get low, protect head and neck, use sturdy cover when available, and hold on until shaking stops. If you are already outside, move away from buildings, trees, streetlights, and utility wires when you can do so without crossing new hazards.

Use another page when

Do not turn this into a general gear list: not earthquake.

This page is a myth and mistake-correction page. It differs from Drop Cover Hold On because it explains what not to do and why, while that page teaches the core action. It differs from the first-hour page because Use it for preventing unsafe instincts before they derail the first response. Do not create a technical exception guide for every building type, doorway, stairwell, balcony, or utility condition. Do not teach rescue, structural assessment, gas shutoff, electrical inspection, medical care, or re-entry decisions.

Common mistakes

Mistakes that make what not to do during an earthquake harder.

Using it after conditions changed

Letting supplies hide the handoff

Do not teach rescue, structural assessment, gas shutoff, electrical inspection, medical care, or re-entry decisions. We do not decide school pickup, evacuation routes, custody rules, or building clearance for the reader. Schools, workplaces, landlords, shelters, emergency managers, and local authorities override household preferences. Do not give rescue, gas shutoff, electrical, structural, medical, re-entry, or cleanup instructions.

Checklist

Checklist for what not to do during an earthquake.

Do not run outside: Explain why leaving during shaking can add stairs, glass, falling exterior hazards, and crowd pressure. Exterior hazards. Stay with protective action. Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop.
Do not chase myths: Address doorway defaults, windows, elevators, stairs, pets, and belongings without creating confusing exceptions. Doorway myth. Elevator risk. Write the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls.
Do not inspect hazards: Separate noticing danger from touching utilities, cracks, panels, heavy debris, or damaged rooms. Gas odor boundary. No inspection. Place shoes, flashlight, and contacts where the household can reach them before crossing glass or debris.
Do not start with property: Put people, shoes, light, communication, and official instructions ahead of photos, cleanup, and appliances. People before photos. Kit support. Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop.
Know who takes over: Route fire, injury, trapped people, blocked exits, utilities, building questions, and school rules to authorities. Emergency help. Official instructions. Write the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls.
Ready.gov Federal Emergency Management Agency: Use earthquake guidance to make the page a mistake-prevention article that protects the first seconds. Replace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop.
Ready.gov Federal Emergency Management Agency: Use planning guidance to show that many tempting actions can wait until roles and official instructions are clear. Write the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls.
Ready.gov Federal Emergency Management Agency: Use kit guidance to support safer after-shaking movement without turning supplies into permission to inspect. Place shoes, flashlight, and contacts where the household can reach them before crossing glass or debris.

Do not do

Do not replace official earthquake guidance with a list of clever exceptions or building-specific judgments. We do not certify that any location is safe, evaluate buildings, or teach rescue, repair, or utility handling.
Do not give rescue, gas shutoff, electrical, structural, medical, re-entry, or cleanup instructions. We do not decide school pickup, evacuation routes, custody rules, or building clearance for the reader.
Do not create a technical exception guide for every building type, doorway, stairwell, balcony, or utility condition. We do not say kit items allow entry into damaged rooms, utility spaces, or unsafe exits.
Do not teach rescue, structural assessment, gas shutoff, electrical inspection, medical care, or re-entry decisions. We do not certify that any location is safe, evaluate buildings, or teach rescue, repair, or utility handling.

Get help now

Use this safely

Keep local conditions ahead of a general guide.

Page date2026-07-04

Updated what not to do during an earthquake for direct search language, local-alert-first wording, practical stop points, and visible not-medical-advice boundaries where needed.

Recheck whenConditions change

Recheck help triggers, do-not-do wording, official reference availability, and whether the page still avoids medical-care claims.

BoundaryGeneral education only

This is not medical advice, emergency dispatch, rescue training, or a substitute for local authorities. Use emergency services for severe symptoms, danger, evacuation orders, or uncertainty.

References

Use official guidance before a general checklist.

For do not run outside, Ready.gov Federal Emergency Management Agency supports earthquake myth-correction should discourage running outside, using elevators, moving toward windows, and inspecting hazards during shaking. The same source is limited because we do not certify that any location is safe, evaluate buildings, or teach rescue, repair, or utility handling. For do not chase myths, Ready.gov Federal Emergency Management Agency supports household planning helps replace unsafe improvisation with agreed roles after shaking stops. The same source is limited because we do not decide school pickup, evacuation routes, custody rules, or building clearance for the reader.

We do not certify that any location is safe, evaluate buildings, or teach rescue, repair, or utility handling. We do not decide school pickup, evacuation routes, custody rules, or building clearance for the reader. We do not say kit items allow entry into damaged rooms, utility spaces, or unsafe exits. Do not create a technical exception guide for every building type, doorway, stairwell, balcony, or utility condition.

This is not medical advice, emergency dispatch, rescue training, or a substitute for local authorities. Use emergency services for severe symptoms, danger, evacuation orders, or uncertainty.

Ready.gov Federal Emergency Management AgencyReplace each risky instinct with a simpler action: protect head and neck, stay put, and wait for shaking to stop.Ready.gov Federal Emergency Management AgencyWrite the post-shaking check order so no one starts with stairs, utilities, photos, or outside walls.Ready.gov Federal Emergency Management AgencyPlace shoes, flashlight, and contacts where the household can reach them before crossing glass or debris.

Next step

Move sideways only when the risk changes.

Wildfire evacuation for families: Call notes to collect for wildfire evacuation familiesThe next link should move from this page's question into the adjacent task instead of sending the reader through another broad checklist. This page is a myth and mistake-correction page. It differs from Drop Cover Hold On because it explains what not to do and why, while that page teaches the core action. It differs from the first-hour page because Use it for preventing unsafe instincts before they derail the first response.Family emergency kit: Start with the kit checkOpen the kit page when what not to do during an earthquake turns into a supplies problem: water, light, documents, medicines, contacts, food, power, or backup storage.Emergency kit quick builderUse the kit builder when the next step is supplies, contacts, documents, water, medicine labels, or a household backup plan.Wildfire go bag preparation: Local check before leaving conditionsWildfire go bag preparation is the next useful comparison when the setting, weather, person at risk, or official instruction no longer matches what not to do during an earthquake.