🏚️ What to do before, during, and after an earthquake

Before: prepare your family

• •Agree on a meeting point outside your home in case you get separated and calls do not go through.
• •Prepare an emergency backpack: water (at least 2 liters per person), non-perishable food, flashlight, battery radio, medications, copies of documents, and cash.
• •Identify the safest spots in each room: under sturdy tables, next to structural walls, away from windows and shelves.
• •Secure or relocate heavy objects that could fall: shelves, televisions, lamps.
• •Learn how to shut off gas and water valves and the main electricity breaker.

During the shaking

• •Drop, cover, and hold on: get under a sturdy table and protect your head and neck.
• •If there is no table, crouch next to an interior wall, away from windows and falling objects.
• •Do not run to the stairs and never use the elevator.
• •If you are outside, move away from buildings, poles, and power lines toward open space.
• •If you are driving, stop somewhere safe (away from bridges and poles) and stay inside the vehicle.

⚠️ Most injuries come from falling objects and from trying to run outside during the shaking. Protect yourself first; evacuate once the movement stops.

Immediately after

• •Check whether you or anyone nearby is injured before moving. Treat bleeding first.
• •If you smell gas, do not switch on lights or strike matches: close the valve, open windows, and leave.
• •Exit damaged buildings calmly and do not re-enter for any reason.
• •Use text messages or WhatsApp instead of calls: networks saturate and messages are more likely to get through.
• •Listen to radio or official sources (Civil Protection, FUNVISIS) before acting on rumors.

Aftershocks

Strong earthquakes are always followed by aftershocks, and they can bring down already-weakened structures. They can occur minutes, days, or weeks after the main event.

• •Do not enter buildings with cracks, damaged columns, or leaning walls until they are inspected.
• •With every aftershock repeat the same protocol: drop, cover, and hold on.
• •Keep your emergency backpack at hand for the following weeks.

Numbers to keep at hand

Emergencies: 911 · Firefighters: 166 · Civil Protection: 169 · Police/CICPC: 171. Also save the numbers of relatives outside the affected area: it is often easier to reach another city than to call within the same zone.