4 ms·

From TFA: "up to 10 seconds warning" Probably a usable amount of time I guess - I expect it probably takes 2 or 3 seconds to fully comprehend, then that leaves

From TFA: "up to 10 seconds warning" Probably a usable amount of time I guess - I expect it probably takes 2 or 3 seconds to fully comprehend, then that leaves 5 seconds or so to take cover. From someone living in UK where earthquakes are rare and tiny, what sort of cover can you take in less than 10 seconds? Go jump in a steel bath tub or something? Stand in a doorway? (Is that a thing? Does it depend on wood Vs brick Vs concrete?)

tempnow987 5y ago
Your elevator stops at next floor and doors open. You grab your child practicing their walking skills on a dangerous edge. I just get up and stand in a doorway away from the unsecured bookshelves.
jconnop 5y ago
The advice we get in New Zealand is to get underneath something strong like a table. Sitting where I am now I could probably make it under a table in under 5 seconds. The bigger effect maybe is that prepares you mentally for the impact, so you're already planning your next steps and aren't in quite as much surpise/panic as if you had no warning. When things are collapsing, seconds can be the difference between life and death. Even if a system like this only saves a few extra percent of lives lost in a major earthquake, it sounds worth it to me.
- yosito 5y ago
  > The advice we get in New Zealand is to get underneath something strong like a table Depending on how earthquake-proof a building is, this could be bad advice. If you're in an earthquake-proof building, a table will protect you from falling objects. If the building you're in collapses, you'll want to be next to something that's not very compressible, like a bed or a couch. The collapse will leave open triangles next to objects like this, which are the best place to survive a collapse.
  - Mandatum 5y ago
    New Zealand doesn't really have brick or concrete buildings (except high-rises). Lots of very old weatherboard. And you're right, the advice these days isn't "get under" something, it's "get next to something big or under the doorway".
bsder 5y ago
Bad earthquakes aren't short. They can go on for several minutes. I'm not going to interrupt may day for a 4.0. For a 6.0+, I will probably turn off anything on the gas stove and walk outside if I can.
Stevvo 5y ago
One advantage is to make it clear to you what is going on. Many people don't initially understand what they are experiencing as earthquake the first time it happens. Everything shaking is so far removed from any other experience that you might think 'wow, that's some really strong wind' because that is the closest reference your brain has for the situation.
indigomm 5y ago
We get more than people think in the UK [0], but nothing to worry about - a mouse fart compared to Japan, West Coast, etc. [0] https://earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/education/faqs/faq6.html https://earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/education/faqs/faq6.html
garmaine 5y ago
> Stand in a doorway? (Is that a thing? Does it depend on wood Vs brick Vs concrete?) In earthquake country we don't have brick or unreinforced concrete doorways, for this exact reason. Visiting brits tend to make fun of our flimsy wood-frame buildings. Having actually been under a doorframe in a magnitude 6.9 earthquake, I'll take the wood frame any time ;)

tempnow987 5y ago

Your elevator stops at next floor and doors open. You grab your child practicing their walking skills on a dangerous edge. I just get up and stand in a doorway away from the unsecured bookshelves.

jconnop 5y ago

The advice we get in New Zealand is to get underneath something strong like a table. Sitting where I am now I could probably make it under a table in under 5 seconds. The bigger effect maybe is that prepares you mentally for the impact, so you're already planning your next steps and aren't in quite as much surpise/panic as if you had no warning. When things are collapsing, seconds can be the difference between life and death. Even if a system like this only saves a few extra percent of lives lost in a major earthquake, it sounds worth it to me.

yosito 5y ago
> The advice we get in New Zealand is to get underneath something strong like a table Depending on how earthquake-proof a building is, this could be bad advice. If you're in an earthquake-proof building, a table will protect you from falling objects. If the building you're in collapses, you'll want to be next to something that's not very compressible, like a bed or a couch. The collapse will leave open triangles next to objects like this, which are the best place to survive a collapse.
- Mandatum 5y ago
  New Zealand doesn't really have brick or concrete buildings (except high-rises). Lots of very old weatherboard. And you're right, the advice these days isn't "get under" something, it's "get next to something big or under the doorway".

bsder 5y ago

Bad earthquakes aren't short. They can go on for several minutes. I'm not going to interrupt may day for a 4.0. For a 6.0+, I will probably turn off anything on the gas stove and walk outside if I can.

Stevvo 5y ago

One advantage is to make it clear to you what is going on. Many people don't initially understand what they are experiencing as earthquake the first time it happens. Everything shaking is so far removed from any other experience that you might think 'wow, that's some really strong wind' because that is the closest reference your brain has for the situation.

indigomm 5y ago

We get more than people think in the UK [0], but nothing to worry about - a mouse fart compared to Japan, West Coast, etc. [0] https://earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/education/faqs/faq6.html https://earthquakes.bgs.ac.uk/education/faqs/faq6.html

garmaine 5y ago

> Stand in a doorway? (Is that a thing? Does it depend on wood Vs brick Vs concrete?) In earthquake country we don't have brick or unreinforced concrete doorways, for this exact reason. Visiting brits tend to make fun of our flimsy wood-frame buildings. Having actually been under a doorframe in a magnitude 6.9 earthquake, I'll take the wood frame any time ;)