I Did Everything Wrong in an Earthquake

By Megan Mills, NAS Sigonella Public Affairs

I was taking a leisurely afternoon nap on one of my last days of summer vacation in 2011 when the room started to rumble.

Having lived my life along the East Coast of the United States, I had no experience with earthquakes and no reason to expect one in northern Virginia. Panicking, I leapt out of bed, grabbed my 19 year old cat, and ran outside, joining a crowd of similarly confused and worried neighbors. No one knew what was happening.

As it turns out, it was a magnitude 5.8 earthquake, and I did everything wrong.

Mt. Etna’s Biggest Threat

When my family moved to Sicily seven years later, I was a little nervous to live in the shadow of an active volcano, imagining fast flows of lava overtaking houses and towns. I quickly found out that ash is the actually most common volcanic nuisance (especially on car windshields), but I was surprised to learn that the biggest danger we face from Mt. Etna is, in fact, earthquakes.

I learned this fact firsthand when an ongoing eruption on Mt. Etna triggered a 4.8 tremor around 3:00 a.m. on Dec. 26, 2018. While my home and family were untouched (we, in fact, didn’t even wake up), it did cause injuries and damage around Sicily.

As happened in both of these cases, earthquakes can occur with no warning, so it’s especially important to know what to do before one happens.

No Doorways!

So what did I do wrong, and what should you do if an earthquake happens?

If you’re in bed, stay in bed: Instead of jumping out of bed, I should have stayed there, turning facedown and using a pillow to protect my head and neck from falling debris.

Do not run outside like I did: Instead, stay inside and follow these three steps:

DROP to your hands and knees

COVER your head and neck with your arms

HOLD ON to any sturdy furniture nearby. Only crawl if you have a clear path to get to something sturdy

What about other places you might be when an earthquake hits? If you’re in a vehicle, pull over and stop: Set your parking brake and stay away from buildings, trees, bridges, and utility wires that may fall.

If you’re outside, stay outside, but try to stay away from falling rocks or landslides, especially near cliffs, slopes, or mountains.

Do NOT stand in a doorway: Despite what many of us think, this is not the safest place to be in an earthquake!

Planning Ahead

When I lived in Virginia, I did not expect an earthquake and hadn’t prepared my house or planned ahead. Here in Sicily, where earthquakes are much more common, we all should take the following steps to be ready:

Make sure heavy items are secured, including TVs. Earthquakes make things fall, so consider storing heavy or breakable items on lower shelves.

Practice DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON, especially with kids and especially if you didn’t grow up with earthquake drills.

Make a supply kit that includes food and water for three days, a flashlight, a fire extinguisher, and a whistle, as well as medications or pet needs. This is always good to have for a variety of disasters, including earthquakes.

After/Shocks

What about after the earthquake?

First of all, expect aftershocks. Though often less intense than the first rumble, they may still cause damage.

Once the shaking has subsided, check yourself and others for injury and leave or move away from damaged buildings as soon as possible. Do not enter any damaged buildings, either; remember those aftershocks!

If you’re trapped, cover your mouth and nose to protect against dust, and try to send a text (which may be more reliable than a phone call) or bang on a pipe or wall to alert rescuers to your location.

Though tsunamis are not a concern in Sicily, if you are in a location where they might happen, go inland or toward higher ground as soon as the trembling stops.

In 2011, I was lucky. The earthquake may have cracked the Washington Monument, but my cat and I were fine, and the worst it did in my house was knock over some of my art and books. Now I’m armed with knowledge and tools to be better prepared, and I want to make sure everyone on Team Sig is too. Learn from my mistakes, and visit www.Ready.gov for more details on earthquake safety.