It was somewhat amazing to me that the "Drop, Cover and Hold" procedure for personal safety was not followed to any great degree as I observed the photos and videos coming out of the most recent Japanese quake. There were some instances where people did take the appropriate actions--but in the video images that I saw the common reaction was to stand tight and try to hang onto something or get happy feet and run.
Then today I heard a CNN anchor talk about the safest place to be is outside in a quake, he then insinuated that that is the place to get to in a quake. I can understand the physical reaction. I recall someone telling me about being in the 1965 Washington State quake and walking down a street when the quake hit. He told me the power lines and and trees were swaying. He said he "took off running" not as though he was running towards something or away from something it just seemed appropriate to run.
If you don't physically practice the Drop, Cover and Hold drill of getting down on the floor and under a desk, table, workstation, etc then you probably won't do it when there is a disaster crisis in your life. You develop muscle memory from actually practicing the drill. If you are in a hall, drop down and sit on the floor with your back to the wall and cover your head with your arms. If in bed you can cover your head with a pillow or better yet get down next to the bed and cover your head with your arms. The design standards for modern buildings is life safety. They will not pancake in an earthquake! So the way you will be injured is by nonstructural items dropping down or being thrown around during the shaking, e.g. light fixtures, furniture, computers. If you are in a theater get lower than the seats, in a church drop under the pews.
Most people are killed or injured when they run for the exits and are struck by falling glass or portions of the structure. The Japan Quake had lots of examples of these types of things falling from the sky as people ran from buildings. The reality is that if the shaking is bad enough to cause buildings to collapse you won't be able to remain on your feet, let alone run--the shaking will be that bad!
If you know what to do, when you hear a freight train coming where no freight train should be, yell "Drop, Cover and Hold" and get take personal action yourself. People will take direction when they don't know what to do and have an example to follow. You have to overcome the desire to get Happy Feet and take off running towards more danger than you are already in.
Lastly, I know that the "Triangle of Life" concept will start being passed around on the Internet. It happens every time there is an earthquake. It is pure bunk! What I've described above and provided a link to are the appropriate procedures to follow. Disregard any information you receive about the Triangle of Life. Stomp it out, kill the misinformation now!
If you personally know any of the CNN Anchors -- send them this blog posting. The next thing you know they will be talking about the Triangle of Life. Grrrr
