A more appropriate response to an earthquake is to get under something strong, to prevent things from falling on you.
Good choices that I can think of, and you only have a moment to think:
1. Under a desk or table.
2. In a doorway.
3. In a hallway at home.
4. Up against a strong wall.
5. Away from power lines.
6. Away from light poles.
7. Away from un-reinforced masonry.
Duck and cover. Roll up into a ball and cover the back of your head/neck with your hands, just like you would do in an unscheduled aircraft crash landing. We were all taught this in kindergarten.
Bricks should only be used as a surface material on an exterior wall. Never depend on a brick wall to hold anything up. For a home, the brick is up against the wooden wall that supports the roof. For commercial buildings the brick is probably up against a concrete wall. For a retaining wall the brick is up against the concrete wall that is supporting the load.
People laugh at the construction of our California homes. The walls are 2x4 with a sheet of 4x8 siding or plywood on them. This is quite strong and allows the building to sway with the motion.
I have cathedral ceilings in my home, about 16 feet high. The two walls in the middle of the house have plywood under the Sheetrock. This is what provides the shear support.
When Loma Prieta hit in 1989 our children, then 9 and 6, were afraid to go to bed. We put them in the hallway in sleeping bags and that satisfied their fear. In a hallway, you have two load bearing walls around you.
When Loma Prieta hit, my wife's uncle was at the Giants/A's ball game at Candle Stick Park. He jumped onto the field. Security threatened to arrest him. He said go ahead, I set the concrete forms for this place and I don't trust the concrete.
In San Francisco, the fire department ladders can reach up to the 8th floor. Buildings 12 stories and less are built rigid. Buildings taller than 12 stories are built to sway in the wind or during an earthquake.
Some earthquakes are a vertical bounce. Some are a horizontal motion. Earthquakes can cause a wave to roll across the earths surface. This is visible if you happen to be coaching your kid's soccer tame when the quake hits. Between vertical and horizontal earthquakes, I do not know which ones can cause a rolling surface.
I was at home for Loma Prieta. I did not lose any water in my swimming pool. A neighbor 2 doors down lost 3 feet. Apparently the orientation of the length and width of the pool, relative to the direction to the epicenter has something do do with it.
During Loma Prieta my wife was on the phone with someone in Los Gatos (close to the epicenter). My wife was about 10 miles further away. My wife heard her friend say "Oh my God, earthquake" and then she hung up the phone. My wife thinks to herself, "what earthquake. I didn't feel anything." Then it hit her location. So it took approximately 10 seconds for the quake to travel 10 miles. One mile per second, 60 miles per minute. 3,600 mph.
The big difference between earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes is that tornadoes and hurricanes come with some warning. Earthquakes provide no warning.
1906 was a major quake in San Francisco. The next major one was 1989. So statistically, we get a significant quake every 80 years.
Is there anywhere on the eastern seaboard, especially the southern part, where you would expect a significant hurricane to occur not more often than 80 years? Is New Orleans exempt for the next 75 years?
In tornado alley, if a house is destroyed by a tornado and is rebuilt. Would you expect it to be another 80 years before a tornado hits the same house again.
Northern blizzards are another dangerous event. But they are trivial to prepare for.
I'll stay in California. I feel much safer here.
Now about our fires...
I hope I have shed a little light with my east coast friends regarding earthquakes.
Disclaimer: I am not a seismologist. I did not look any of this up. This is my experience and information from conversations with friends over the years.
