‘Myth-buster’: A Doorway is the Safest Place to Stand during an Earthquake
By Home Security Source Apr 6, 2010 | 9:40:00 amPosted in: DIY Safety, Family, Personal Safety Sunday’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Baja California, Mexico shook Southern California and its residents as far as 220 miles north of the quake’s epicenter. The rumble sent locals and throngs of holiday visitors running for cover. As it turns out, where they ran for cover could have meant the difference between safety and serious injury.
Most people have heard at one time or another, that taking shelter in a doorway can be the safest place to be when an earthquake strikes. But is a doorway really the safest place to shelter when you feel the earth move under your feet? We decided to bust this myth once and for all.
As it turns out, the California State Department of Conservation reports that this common “earthquake safety myth” is only true if you live in an unreinforced adobe home. In modern structures the doorway is no stronger than the rest of the building. The department reports that you’re actually more likely to be hurt (by the swinging door) in a doorway. And if you’re in a public building, standing in a doorway during an earthquake is an even worse idea; you could block exits and become injured by people rushing outside.
To help stay safe in an earthquake, prepare an emergency kit and when inside, take shelter away from windows under a heavy table or desk.
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