What to do during an earthquake: ‘Duck, cover, and hold on’

Did you know what to do when things started to shake Friday morning?

Earthquake researchers and public safety officials are reminding residents how to react when the next quake strikes.

“Duck, cover, and hold on,” Michele Cooke, a UMass Amherst professor in the Department of Earth, Geographic and Climate Sciences, told the Herald after Friday’s earthquake.

“Get down low, under a table,” Cooke added.

When there’s a large earthquake, lights and other objects can fall.

“So go under a table to protect yourself from debris, and hold on,” Cooke said.

People should stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and other items that could fall.

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Some people might want to run outside when they start to feel shaking, but scientist Mark Behn of Boston College’s Weston Observatory advised against that.

“Don’t go outside,” Behn said, emphasizing that people inside should “get under something as quickly as possible.”

People who are outside should move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires.

If you’re in a vehicle, pull to the side of the road and stay inside until the earthquake is over. Do not stop under overpasses or power lines.

Massachusetts is located in a moderate earthquake zone. Although these quakes typically cause only insignificant or mild damage, larger earthquakes are possible — and could cause serious damage to buildings and public infrastructure.

Additional earthquakes, called aftershocks, may occur for hours, days, or even months. Most are smaller than the initial earthquake, but larger magnitude aftershocks can also occur.

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