> why is a strong table to be looked for inside, to get underneath it? Modern buildings don't usually completely collapse ("pancake"), and being under a sturdy

> why is a strong table to be looked for inside, to get underneath it? Modern buildings don't usually completely collapse ("pancake"), and being under a sturdy table can absorb the weight of partial collapse: as an example, an interior wall collapsing onto you. See [0]. > I would imagine basements are bad to be in, is that so? All I know about this is that having a (code-compliant) basement makes the entire house more resilient, but I couldn't find anything about being _in_ the basement during an EQ being good or bad. Know that basements in low-density structures are quite scarce[1] in Southern California, though -- I've lived in LA for four years and don't remember ever being in one, except in large apartment buildings. Don't try to get out of a basement if you're in one when an EQ hits. Most injuries are a result of people breaking their ankles and legs trying to move while the ground is shaking. > I would imagine upstairs is a bad place to be too, right? It's a tradeoff. In the event of a structure collapse, you have further to fall but less structure to fall on top of you. > does the ground really split underneath your feet? Yes, if you're straddling the fault line and standing near the epicenter. (You won't be doing that). There has never been a confirmed case of someone falling into an "earthquake chasm", but it might be something to worry about if you're a cow grazing in a Bay Area field[2]. --- Take a look at this study[3] of the 74 deaths caused by the '94 Northridge EQ. It's the best data we can use to project what would happen if a major EQ hit LA today. [0]: http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/04/tech/innovation/the-earthquake-proof-table/index.html http://www.cnn.com/2013/07/04/tech/innovation/the-earthquake... [1]: https://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-basement-side-20150509-story.html https://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-basement-side-20150509-st... [2]: https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2013/01/do-people-ever-fall-down-earthquake-chasms-yeah-when-the-earth-swallows-cows.html https://www.realclearscience.com/blog/2013/01/do-people-ever... [3]: http://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/wcee/article/11_979.PDF http://www.iitk.ac.in/nicee/wcee/article/11_979.PDF