Surviving An Earthquake

The Associated Press addresses the question of "After an earthquake, how long can trapped people survive?" As with most questions in life, the answer is "it depends."  The article explains that "[t]rapped victims are more likely to survive if they are in a debris-free pocket that prevents major injury while they await rescue, like under a sturdy desk...." Beyond that, survival depends on having food, water, and air. And this advice:

    The best practices for survival during an earthquake depend on where you are in the world. Building codes in regions with active fault lines are often designed to withstand earthquakes, but that doesn’t hold true everywhere.

    In many countries, including the United States, the best practices are to drop, seek cover and hang on unless you are close to a building exit. Seek shelter under a heavy table or near sturdy furniture that may yield a survivable pocket if the roof collapses. Cover your face with cloth or a mask to protect from dust and debris.

    If you are trapped in the rubble after an earthquake, save your energy and don’t overexert. Ration food and water, listen for rescue calls and search for something near you to make noise. If you have a phone with you, conserve its battery and try for help in short spurts each day.

As for time, the article notes that most survivors are rescued within 24 hours, but notes that in 2011, two people in Japan were found alive after being trapped for 9 days; and a survivor of a 2010 earthquake in Haiti was pulled from the rubble after 15 days.  

7.4 Earthquake Strikes Columbia

 Some articles:

• "Terrifying footage shows church collapse as huge 7.4-magnitude earthquake hits Colombia, burying people beneath collapsed buildings, with dozens dead"--Daily Mail. 
• "Massive 7.4-magnitude earthquake strikes Colombia, kills at least 20"--New York Post.  
• "Nearly 100-year-old church crumbles as deadly 7.4-magnitude earthquake rocks Colombia"--New York Post. 
• "69 dead and buildings collapsed after 7.4 magnitude earthquake strikes western Colombia"--AP News.

Earthquake Strikes Japan's Kyushu Island

From the Asahi Shimbun: "7.1 magnitude quake leads to casualties, fires in Kumamoto."

    A major earthquake that registered a maximum seismic intensity of 7 rocked Kumamoto Prefecture at 4:27 p.m. on July 28, causing casualties, damaging or destroying infrastructure and disrupting transportation.

    Tsunami warnings were issued for the Ariake and Yatsushiro Sea areas, but they were lifted at 6:10 p.m.

    The Japan Meteorological Agency reported the hypocenter of the quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1, was at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers.

    The main quake was followed by a series of aftershocks, including one with an intensity of lower 5 at 4:29 p.m., and two more with intensities of 4 at 4:39 p.m. and 4:59 p.m.

    The maximum intensity of 7 was recorded in Uki city and Hikawa town in Kumamoto Prefecture.

    An intensity of upper 6 was felt in Kumamoto city’s Minami Ward as well as in the cities of Yatsushiro and Uto, and the towns of Misato and Mashiki.   

 There was damage to some buildings, including a shopping mall that suffered a partial collapse, and roads and at least one bridge. The Daily Mail has more photographs of the damage. Several people died in the mall collapse, but I haven't seen any real estimates as to the number of dead or injured. My guess is that it will be a fairly small number due to the building codes which take into account the earthquake risk.  

Venezula Earthquake

As you probably already know, Venezula was struck by two devastating earthquakes yesterday: "A magnitude-7.2 quake struck roughly 100 miles west of Caracas, followed just 39 seconds later by an even bigger 7.5-magnitude temblor, according to the US Geological Survey." The USGS has a model to give rough ranges of the number of fatalities, and that model gives the highest percentage to the death toll being between 10,000 and 100,000. Grimly, though, the model gives higher odds to the fatalities exceeding 100,000 than to their being below 10,000. Photographs and video I have seen show many heavily damaged multi-story structures as well as some buildings that completely collapsed. 

    The video below has some of the more dramatic video and an overview of how events rolled out. Stefan Burns, who I believe is geophysicist, had a 1.5 hour live stream last night immediately after news of the quake came out that you might find interesting as well. 

    President Trump has already promised assistance and I'm sure that other countries will also be offering help. And I'm sure that many churches and faith-based NGOs will also be providing assistance. And even if we cannot provide physical assistance, we can pray for the survivors and the souls of those that lost their lives.  

VIDEO: "HORROR in Venezuela ! Double M7.5 Earthquake causes STATE OF EMERGENCY - Caracas in RUINS" - On the Pulse with Silki (18 min.)

Fears of the "Big One"

From the Daily Mail: "Big One fears erupt as San Andreas fault reaches highest stress level in 1,000 years." From the lede:

    Fears of the 'Big One' - an earthquake so big it devastates all of California - have risen to new heights after a disturbing discovery under America's most dangerous fault line.

    Researchers from the US and Switzerland revealed that the San Andreas Fault has reached its highest levels of stress in 1,000 years - adding that it has been more than 160 years since the giant crack in the Earth's crust had a major release of energy.

    The San Andreas is an 800-mile-long fault line which runs under most of California, passing by Los Angeles in the south and San Francisco in the north and connecting to several other major faults, most notably the San Jacinto Fault near Los Angeles. 

The City of Los Angeles has a pretty good preparedness guide available in PDF here. The California Earthquake Authority also has a website with preparedness advice. And one of the better post-disaster novels I've read is The Walk by Lee Goldberg (Amazon link) which follows Marty Slack, a TV network executive, as he survives "the Big One" and treks across Los Angeles from a film shoot in downtown Los Angeles, where he was when the quake struck, to his home in the San Fernando Valley. It's not long (190 pages) and makes a good read IMHO. 

Philippines Hit By 7.8 Magnitude Earthquake

 The New York Post reports: "A 7.8 magnitude quake in the Philippines kills at least 32, sets off a tsunami." From the article:

    An offshore magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the southern Philippines on Monday, killing at least 32 people, injuring more than 200 others mostly in ruined buildings and sending a 1-meter (3-foot) tsunami into nearby coasts.

    Several mostly low-rise buildings collapsed or sustained heavy damage in the hard-hit city of General Santos. Tsunami damage was reported in at least one southern coastal village. Smaller waves were measured in Indonesia and Palau, and as far away as southern Japan.

    The quake also triggered a landslide in Glan, a municipality in the province of Sarangani, that killed 13 villagers, Rene Punzalan, a provincial disaster-mitigation official, told the DZBB radio network. Four other villagers died in Sarangani, he said.

VIDEO: When The Mississippi River Ran Backwards

 A video about the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812. 

 VIDEO: "How an Earthquake Made The Mississippi Run Backwards"
The First Dawn (24 min.)

VIDEO: The New Madrid Earthquake

A short video about the 1811-12 New Madrid Earthquake (actually a series of earthquakes) in late 1811 and early 1812. And just to head off certain potential comments: no, aliens did not cause the earthquakes. 

VIDEO: "Missouri had an Earthquake of Biblical Proportions-with 3 days of darkness"
Hidden in the Heartland (7 min.)

"The Big One" Could Actually Be Two Quakes

 From the Daily Mail: "Scientists say catastrophic earthquake nicknamed 'The Big One' could actually be TWO following terrifying discovery." From the lede:

    California's fearsome 'Big One' earthquake looks increasingly like it might actually be two, scientists have warned.

    Researchers uncovered the strongest evidence yet that a tremor along the infamous Cascadia Subduction Zone could trigger another along the San Andreas Fault line.

    The tandem earthquakes could happen just minutes apart according to a study by Geosphere, stretching emergency response services and spelling disaster for millions of people.  

So, potentially, we could see major earthquake damage all along the most densely populated portions of the West Coast including Seattle to Portland and San Francisco through Southern California. 

Gun & Prepping News #40

Just some gun and prepping related links that I thought interesting or useful: 

• "Organizing Your Shooting Practice"--Shooting Illustrated. The author, Claude Werner, begins:

Most new gunowners don’t know how to practice shooting to improve their marksmanship. The shooting practice seen on spy and police shows is ridiculous and gives a bad idea about how to practice to be a better shot. Gunowners who organize their shooting practice will build their marksmanship skills rapidly. This is the first in a series of articles about how to use the framework of State Level CCW Qualification Courses to improve marksmanship skills for new gunowners.

To assist gun owners, Werner introduces his readers to the Michigan Council Of Law Enforcement Standards (MCOLES) CCW Basic Safety Training Assessment Course of Fire, including the target and the course of fire. The basic course consists of only 15 shots. He explains: "The standard required by MCOLES was to have all five shots of at least two of the three strings hit the target. A hit anywhere on all three sheets of paper counted. Ideally, all 15 shots would hit the target." He also includes a couple more courses of fire for those that want more shooting.

    In a companion article at his Tactical Professor blog--"Organizing Your Shooting Practice – I"--Werner explains:

     The philosophy behind the series is to give new gunowners at least a small idea of what they can do to gain some degree of proficiency with their guns. While “Do the work” has become a mantra in the training community in the 21st Century; what trainers mean by that is simply unrealistic in the context of most people’s busy lives. The goal of the Organizing Your Practice series is ‘Do Something.’ As my late colleague Paul Gomez said, “Shoot Yor Guns.”

    Each of the monthly sessions can be accomplished by going to an indoor range for an hour, buying one box of ammunition, and getting in a short but meaningful practice session. If a shooter doesn’t even shoot the whole Session of the article; that’s okay. At least they know what it’s like when the gun goes off and what the sound of gunfire and the feel of recoil are like. The majority of adults are visual learners. For them, there’s also a YouTube Short about the session at https://youtu.be/AV4HSnAj_rw?si=pSbB0lNG5jILyrmM.
    
    The purpose of the video isn’t really to provide a guide to the session. It’s mostly to show what real shooting looks like as opposed to the foolishness that is usually seen on TV and movies. Although Jennifer Garner frequently looked great on Alias, the shooting was always utterly ridiculous.

• "A Disciplined Approach to Fire Control"--Shooting Illustrated. An excerpt:

     First and foremost of the hold-control subcomponents is grip. This starts with the strong hand, which is further stabilized by utilizing the support hand in tandem with the strong hand, resulting in stability. The job responsibility of the support hand is to steer and keep the muzzle in alignment with the target. Yet, the primary role and responsibility of the strong hand is trigger manipulation.

    Once you have established your signature grip, strong-hand supported, it is imperative to maintain a durable grip throughout the fire-control process. Grip durability means that the combined weld of your strong hand and support hand is one that remains fixed in both position and pressure. In other words, it means not changing either hand or finger position, while not fluctuating in grip pressure throughout the first and subsequent shot breaks. A change in either grip position or grip pressure can produce unwanted energy input resulting in muzzle movement enough to attenuate hold control (moving the muzzle out of target alignment.)

    Developing good grip habits means eliminating any unnecessary input, which translates to grip durability. Mindful practice, cognizant of the objective of a durable grip is what helps you develop good grip habits. The more you can discern “right” (building and sustaining a durable grip) from “wrong” (detrimental energy input) the more familiar you become with the durability process.

    The greater your grip familiarity, the greater your grip comfort, which, in turn, allows for your conscious work effort to drop into the subconscious. The deeper into the subconscious a good grip falls coupled with experiencing performance success, the greater your confidence.

    Greater confidence leads to on-demand repeatability, which is just another term for consistency. In the world of performance shooting, 85 percent is considered a desirable consistency percentage.

• “You're a mean one, Mr. Flinch!”--Shooting Wire. Rich Grassi recounts an incident where he had picked up some lighter weight ammo for his .44 Magnum revolver, thinking it would produce less recoil, but loading it up and going out on patrol without first testing it. He almost had to use the revolver, but fortunately he didn't because, as he relates, when he tried it out the recoil and blast was tremendous:

     I’m not sure why, but someone actually used our old range as a dump – at least as far as putting a few pumpkins out there. That was a likely target, so I grabbed one and balanced it on the bottom target plank next to a post.

    I stepped back about 30 feet, plugged my ears and fired a carefully aimed double action shot.

    The heavens opened, I was struck by lightning, surrounded by turbulence. Dust swirled around my feet, my shoelaces busted and I acquired a quick tan.

    The “cultivated winter squash” was quite dehydrated; there was an entry and exit hole. The most damage was done by its fall from the target board, likely caused by considerable wake turbulence. Shocked, I stumbled back to the car and got out the cartridge box. The marking indicated that the 180-grain jacketed hollow point was factory rated for “1600 fps from a 4-inch vented test barrel.”

    Hydraulic “back spatter” indeed …

    So much for “lighter projectiles equal less recoil.” You still have to consider the velocity.

• "Ruger Super Wrangler .22 LR/.22 WMR [Hands-On Review]"--Recoil. Years ago Ruger had introduced an inexpensive single action .22 LR revolver probably to compete with the Heritage line of revolvers. It proved popular. So popular that they subsequently released a larger version with adjustable sights and conversion cylinders that allow you to shoot either .22 LR or .22 Mag. In other words, a low cost version of Ruger's Single Six revolver, but for less than half the cost. The author of this review liked the Super Wrangler overall with his only complaints being that he thought that the front sight was too thick for fine work (although this could probably be dealt with by using a 6 o'clock hold) and that it had a different point of impact between 22 LR and .22 Mag (which isnt a problem with the gun, but a matter of physics). While he concludes that the .22 Mag cylinder and capability doesn't really add much to the weapon (the barrel is too short to realize the full potential in his mind) he indicates that he would still pick the Super Wrangler over the Wrangler because of the better sights, the capability of shooting .22 WMR and having something that feels "a little more adult".
• More: "One Gun, Two Rimfires: Ruger’s Super Wrangler"--Guns America.  
• "The Kimber K6xs: A Standout Snubby"--Revolver Guy. When I read reviews like this, I try and look for things that it does better than a standard light weight J-frame snubby from Smith & Wesson. The primary advantage is that this is a 6-shot revolver. The front sight is a post and dot style rather than a ramp, which might make if more visible but also more likely to snag. 
• "The Swampfox Warhorse LPVO: The Best Beginner LPVO"--The Mag Life. This is a 1-6X, first focal plane, which the author indicates retails for less than $700. It is available in MIL or MOA setups. The author states:

 The illuminated reticle features 12 different illumination settings, with an off position between each setting. It consists of a large, illuminated three-quarter circle with a dot in the center. To the sides, we have crosshairs that steer your eyes toward the illuminated portions. Underneath, we have an MOA BDC or MIL ladder for ballistic drop and windage.

• "Day One of TEOTWAWKI: A Written Plan" (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3) (Part 4) (Part 5). As the author explains in Part 1, he had decided to try out his survival preparations and it did not go smoothly. He realized he needed a written plan, which this series of articles represents. Your manual or written plan may not be the same but I'm sure there are ideas here you can use. 
• From the archive: My son was watching a rerun of Mythbusters which featured the account of a Frenchman whose car broke down in the desert wastes of Morocco and he converted it into a motorcycle. It reminded me that I actually had posted about this years ago:
• "Man Builds Motorcycle from Car, While Stranded in Desert"
• "DIY Motorcycle"
• "Soft Wheat Berries versus Hard"--Modern Survivalist Blog. Short take:

     ... In short, the primary difference between them is hard wheat has more protein, and thus more capacity for gluten development.

    Hard wheat has up to twice as much protein content (11-15%) than soft wheat (5-9%).

    Milled flour from hard wheat is more suitable for making bread (because of the gluten), whereas flour from soft wheat berries is better for delicate pastries, cakes, pie crusts, muffins, and cookies.

    Though with that said, they are both interchangeable with the caveats just mentioned. 

• "The 12 Best Summer Vacation Activities for Preppers"--Organic Prepper. The article goes into a bit more detail on each but here is the basic list:

1.     Go camping. 
2.     Cook outdoors. 
3.     Go hiking. 
4.     Take a class.  
5.     Grow your own food. 
6.     Pick survival-themed beach books.
7.     Send the kids to a summer camp. 
8.     Go fishing. 
9.     Learn to preserve food. 
10.     Go shooting.  
11.     Hit some secondhand sales. 
12.     Go foraging. 

• "6 Deadly Water Storage Mistakes"--Urban Survivalist.  Although the article discusses all 6, here is the bare bones list:

1.     Not Filtering Rainwater
2.     Using Too Much Bleach
3.     Using The Wrong Containers
4.     Storing Tainted Water
5.     Storing In The Wrong Storage Conditions
6.     Not Rotating Water Supplies 

• "Starvation During Great Depression: Lessons for Modern America"--Modern Survival Blog. An excerpt:

 While the United States today enjoys a far higher standard of living, the triggers of a similar crisis remain. Modern causes of mass food insecurity include:

•     Major economic downturns—mass unemployment and collapsed consumer demand, as seen in the Depression.
•     Supply chain failures from natural disasters or geopolitical tensions, like pandemics, wars, or international embargoes.
•     Drastic inflation or stagflation, making food unaffordable for vulnerable populations.
•     Persistent poverty, systemic inequality, and lack of adequate social safety nets.

In fact, I found statistics from 2020 indicating that more than 13.8 million U.S. households struggled with having enough food at some point in the year, while today it’s worse with 38.3million Americans who cannot always afford enough food.

Imagine how the numbers would worsen after a trigger event. We are already on an upward trajectory of increasing insecurity. Hunger is a terrible thing. Try not to let that be you… 

• "Kamchatka"--Laughing Wolf. Some discussion of the recent earthquake off the Kamchatka Peninsula including a few comments about preparation, including the following:

 Finally, in terms of preparedness, earthquakes are one of the reason to keep digging and demolition tools handy. There are a number of things that could leave one’s safe space covered in debris. Always be prepared to dig out, pry things up and over, or if possible jack or brace things so they don’t come down any further. Shovels, axes, pry bars, saws, jacks, rope, etc. are good to have around anytime, but may be even more appreciated after a quake. 

The City of Los Angeles has a couple preparedness guides for natural disasters including earthquakes and tsunamis. This is the link to the larger guide (48 pages PDF) and this is the link to a Quick Reference Guide (including a couple of check lists). Another resource is this page with earthquake preparation tips from the California Earthquake Authority.

Just Some Tsunami News

•  "8.8 magnitude quake strikes off Russia’s Far East. Tsunami waves reach Japan, Hawaii and California"--AP. From the article:

    One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off Russia’s sparsely populated Far East [the Kamchatka peninsula] early Wednesday, sending tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. Several people were injured, but none gravely, and no major damage has been reported so far.

    Authorities warned the risk from the 8.8 magnitude quake could last for hours, and millions of people potentially in the path of the waves were initially told to move away from the shore or seek high ground.

    The worst appeared to have passed for many areas, including the U.S., Japan and the affected parts of Russia. But Chile raised its tsunami warning to the highest level for most of its lengthy Pacific coast and said it was evacuating hundreds of people.   

 Space Weather News' morning video today mentioned that the it is often the points opposite a quake that receive the strongest tsunamis, which is why parts of South America may have a high risk. In any event, the AP article adds:

    The quake struck at 11:24 a.m. in Kamchatka with a magnitude of 8.8 and a depth of about 21 kilometers (13 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was centered offshore, about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Kamchatka’s regional capital.

    Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude followed.

    Russia’s Oceanology Institute said tsunami waves might have been as high as 10 to 15 meters (30 to 50 feet) in some sections of the Kamchatka coast — but the highest were less than 6 meters (20 feet) near the populated areas of the peninsula and the nearby Kuril islands.

    Meanwhile, lava began to flow Wednesday from a volcano on Kamchatka, the largest active one in the Northern Hemisphere. Observers also heard explosions, the Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences’ geophysical service said.

• "Tsunami warnings fading after one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded. Here’s what to know"--AP. 
• "Some facts about the strongest earthquakes ever recorded"--AP.  Brief facts about the strongest recorded earthquakes. Note that these are not necessarily the most powerful earthquakes in history, but those where equipment existed to measure the magnitude of the earthquake, which really makes them only the most powerful within the past 100 years or so. 

Presentation: "Great Earthquakes of the Pacific Northwest"

This is a video recording of a presentation given by a geologist that reviews evidence of strong earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest as well as a look at what could happen if there were something similar today, including the consequences of a Cascadia undersea earthquake and resultant tsunami. 

VIDEO: "Great Earthquakes of the Pacific Northwest"
Central Washington University (64 min.)

If you liked that video, you might also check out the one below describes how the "Bridge of the Gods" was created.

VIDEO: "Bridge of the Gods Landslide"
Central Washington University (65 min.)

The Times They Are A-Changin'

You might remember a few years ago when Space Weather News (fko Suspicious Observers) started discussing a galactic magnetic reversal propagating outward from the center of the galaxy, and how we were already seeing the impact of that process in the solar system. (See this video for a short introduction). The video below reminds me of that discussion, noting that the solar system may be currently or soon (as in the next couple of thousand years) enter an interstellar cloud of plasma. It is not the same process, but it too could impact the sun and space weather by causing the heliosphere to contract and exposing the planets (possibly including the inner solar system) to interstellar radiation.

 VIDEO: "The Sun is Fast Approaching a New Interstellar Plasma Cloud, and Once Inside EVERYTHING CHANGES"
Stefan Burns (20 min.)

One of the things you will notice if you look at volcanic activity over the past several centuries--particularly if examining the very large eruptions--is that the 20th Century was unusually quiet. And, so far, so has been the 21st Century. But this video suggests that things may be heating up in certain hot spots, like Hawaii, Iceland, and, the primary subject of this video, the Axial Seamount. (See also "Underwater volcano off Oregon coast ‘ballooning’ with lava — and set to erupt for first time since 2015"--New York Post).

VIDEO: "The DEEP ABYSS is Waking Up... USA's Deep Ocean Hotspot Volcanoes are RUMBLING"
Stefan Burns (29 min.)

An unusually strong earthquake in eastern Tennessee this past weekend:

VIDEO: "East Tennessee earthquake---are the ancient Appalachians coming back to life?"
TheGeoModels (19 min.)

Earthquakes Near Anchorage

The Daily Mail reports: "Major US city that's on volcano watch is rocked by near-5.0 magnitude earthquake." This is yet another incident related to increased activity associated with Mt. Spurr in Alaska. "The 4.7 magnitude earthquake is the fifth quake measuring a 4.1 or greater in the South-Central region of Alaska in the last 11 days," according to the article.

Huge Earthquake Hits Thailand and Myanmar

From the New York Post: "Thousands feared dead after powerful earthquake rocks Thailand and Myanmar — toppling buildings and leaving behind hundreds of miles of destruction." From the lede:

    Thousands are feared dead after a powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake rocked Southeast Asia on Friday, bringing down a towering skyscraper in Thailand and toppling buildings, including a mosque, in neighboring Myanmar.

    Harrowing scenes emerged of bodies being lined up in the rubble as rescuers scoured for survivors from the midday quake, whose epicenter was detected near Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.

    Although the extent of death and destruction wasn’t immediately clear, the US Geological Survey (USGS) issued a red alert — estimating that deaths could range between 1,000 and 10,000.

Also:

The destruction spread hundreds of miles from the epicenter, including in neighboring Thailand, where an under-construction skyscraper crashed down in the capital Bangkok, killing at least eight people, Thai authorities said. 

[Update] The magnitude of the earthquake has been upgraded to 8.2.

Drop, Cover & Hold On In Event Of Earthquake

When I was younger, common advice for surviving an earthquake included standing in a doorway, the idea being that the door framing would provide additional protection against falling debris. But that is no longer good advice, according to this Business Insider article entitled: "Standing under a doorway during an earthquake is a common mistake. Here's what to do instead." 

    Instead of standing in a doorway or running outside, the article indicates that you should use a variation of the old "duck and cover" recommended for a nuclear detonation: drop, cover and hold on. The article explains:

    "In modern houses, doorways are no stronger than any other part of the house. Doorways do not protect you from the most likely source of injury − falling or flying objects," the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in its guide to earthquake safety.

    Nor should you immediately run outside, which is another common myth about safe earthquake response.

    Instead, these days the main guidance is to drop where you are, cover your head and neck (ideally by crawling under a sturdy table), and hold on until the shaking stops.

    "If there's nothing you can find [to crawl under], stay on the ground and cover your head. Maybe crouch a little bit to have a small footprint," Meng told BI.

    If you're inside, stay inside, the CDC advises. If you're outside, stay outside. If you're in a car, "stop as quickly and safely as possible," the CDC says.

    "Remember to drop, cover, and hold on if you feel shaking," Jessica Jobe of the USGS said in the briefing. "No one can predict the exact time or place of any earthquake, including the aftershocks."

 More:

• "Drop, Cover, and Hold On or other recommended actions such as Lock (wheels), Cover, and Hold On – if you feel shaking or get an alert."--Earthquake Country Alliance.
• "Step 5: Drop, Cover, and Hold on"--Central United States Earthquake Consortium. More information, including for various specific situations, and a video demonstrating the basic technique.
• "DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON!"--The Great Californian Shake Out. Similar information to the preceding, but also an explanation of why it was once believed that standing in a doorway was a good idea. 

POTD: The Rubble In Turkey

 

(Source)

    Unfortunately, the photograph above is not of abandoned ruins, but collapsed buildings in Hatay, Turkey, following the devastating earthquakes of earlier today. The initial 7.8 magnitude quake struck  at 04:17 am local time (0117 GMT) at a depth of about 11 miles, according to the U.S. geological survey. It was centered north of Gaziantep, Turkey, about 60 miles from the Syrian border with a population of about 2 million in the region. The quake was strong enough to be felt as far away as Egypt and Cyprus. The initial quake lasted about a minute, but there were some 40 aftershocks felt in the hours after, including one measuring 6.5.

    Hours later, a second 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the same area, but near the city of Kahramanmaraş, adding to the devastation. 

    Casualty figures are changing, but the most recent reports indicate approximately 3,000 dead in both Turkey and Syria. As an article at PJ Media points out, however, "the death toll is sure to drastically rise with 'tens of thousands of citizens… waiting under the rubble' in Hatay alone."

    Terrible.

Indonesian Earthquake

"Big Earthquake Hits Big Volcano"--Suspicious Observers (2 min.)

Some pre-earthquake indicators.

According to the latest report from The Daily Mail, the earthquake, which struck the island of  Lombok, has killed at least 140 people. The island of Bali was also affected by the earthquake, with significant damage to some structures. There are reports that a number of people are trapped in a collapsed mosque. Photographs show thousands lining beaches waiting to be rescued.

Another Earthquake Strikes the Solomons

The Express is reporting that another earthquake, this one a 6.9 magnitude, has struck the Solomon Islands. There was also a tsunami alert issued.

Earthquake and Tsunami Hit Japan

The Express is reporting:

The 7.3 magnitude quake struck off the east coast of Japan just minutes ago, with warnings issued for an imminent three metre-high wave. 

A tsunami has been spotted off shore and is currently approaching the east coast and is expected to hit the east coast of Japan shortly. 

They said: "We have already observed a tsunami and expect the tsunami to come to the sea side."

The Japanese Meterological Agency has ordered several locations to "evacuate immediately" and get to higher ground. 

They said in an emergency bulletin: "Tsunami Warning. Damage due to tsunami waves is expected.

"Evacuate immediately from coastal regions and riverside areas to a safer place such as high ground or an evacuation building.

The earthquake struck off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture. The BBC is reporting that it was 6.9 in magnitude. I would not expect much structural damage from a 6.9 earthquake given Japan's building codes. However, a tsunami is much more dangerous.