>For future reference, during an earthquake if you’re inside it’s usually far safer to climb under a desk or table, stand in a doorway or up against a wall in t

>For future reference, during an earthquake if you’re inside it’s usually far safer to climb under a desk or table, stand in a doorway or up against a wall in the center of your house rather than going outside. Falling trees, power lines, broken gas mains, and even soil liquefaction can be very dangerous. I absolutely loathe statements like yours that masquerade as helpful advice but are nothing more than a crude rule of thumb fundamentally built on an assumption of everyone being stupid. People aren't stupid. They're mostly about as smart as you are. People don't run outside during an earthquake simply to be outside. They run outside to be free of stuff that might fall on them. Away from falling things is the end goal, being outside is not the end goal, it's just usually the first step. Sure, someone once upon a time probably ran outside and got hit with a tree or power line, I'll give you that. But the overwhelming majority of people are going to run outside to a location where there isn't stuff that has the potential to fall on them because that is the goal, to get away from stuff that might fall on them. If the power lines and trees are swinging around they'll get away from them. People who do not have such a place readily available will dive under a table or something. If you think the building or portions thereof might collapse, by all means get the F out of it.