🏚️ Earthquake: what to do before, during and after
Chile is the most seismically active country in the world. The difference between a scare and a tragedy comes down to what you prepared in advance and what you do in the first few seconds. Nobody improvises well while the ground is moving: the decision has to be made beforehand. This guide works offline.
Before Get ready today
- Build your kit: water (3 litres per person per day, at least 3 days), no-cook food, a flashlight, a battery radio, a first-aid kit, copies of your documents and some cash. Interactive checklist →
- Tie a bag to the leg of your bed with closed thick-soled shoes, a flashlight and a whistle. Chile's big earthquakes tend to strike at night, and the first thing you step on is broken glass.
- Anchor tall furniture to solid wall, not to a hollow partition: metal brackets for shelving and wardrobes, a strap for the TV, brackets for the water heater and a chain for the gas cylinder. Heavy items go on low shelves, and nothing hangs above beds.
- Find the real safe spot in each room: in an apartment that's the structural concrete walls — the thick ones, around the bathroom and stairwell — and under a sturdy table. It is not the balcony, not beside a window wall, and not under a doorframe.
- Find and test the shut-offs for gas, water and electricity, and teach every adult to close them in the dark. Keep the gas valve clear: if you have to move furniture to reach it, you won't reach it.
- Agree on a meeting point and an out-of-region contact, with the numbers written on paper. And decide today who goes for the children, the older adult or anyone bedridden, with their medication bag ready.
During The critical 60 seconds
- Drop, cover and hold on: get down under a sturdy table, gripping a leg and shielding your head and neck with the other arm. With no table, press against an interior wall, away from windows.
- Forget the doorframe. In modern construction it's no stronger than anything else, the door swings and can hit you, and you're left standing and unstable.
- Don't run outside while the ground is moving: falling façade glass, cornices and power lines are the biggest danger.
- If you're in bed, stay there and cover your head and neck with the pillow — unless there's a light fixture or shelf above you, in which case roll off to the side.
- If you're outdoors, find open space away from buildings, poles and cables. The ground isn't the danger — what falls from above is.
- If you're driving, pull over away from bridges, overpasses and tunnels, and stay inside with your seatbelt fastened.
- Never use the lift. If it catches you inside, press every floor button and get out at the first one that opens. And don't light matches or candles: if there's a gas leak, that flame is the second disaster.
Key It depends where you are
- High-rise apartment: the building will sway far more than the ground and it will creak; in a sound structure that swaying is the design working. Take cover on your own floor and stay off the balcony.
- Adobe or unreinforced masonry house: the one case where getting out may be better, and only if you're a step from a door opening onto clear ground. Otherwise, under a sturdy table and away from the walls.
- Office: under your desk, away from window walls and filing cabinets. When it stops, take the stairs; don't go back for your bag.
- School: the adult keeps the class down and covered for the whole of the shaking, counts heads, and only then evacuates. Parents should not drive over — they block the streets ambulances need.
- Bus, metro or train: stay on board, hold a handrail and protect your head. Don't force the doors or climb onto the track: wait for staff.
Key Aftershocks, magnitude and intensity
- Magnitude is a number; what you feel is something else. Magnitude describes the quake's size at its source; intensity also depends on distance, depth and soil. A deep, distant one can feel gentle, while a nearby, lower-magnitude one can be destructive.
- Don't wait for the number to decide: it's published minutes later, and those are the minutes that count. Decide by what you felt — if you struggled to stay upright or it went past a minute, act as though it's serious.
- Aftershocks last days, weeks and sometimes months, strongest in the first hours and tapering off unevenly. An aftershock can do more damage than the main quake because it hits an already weakened structure: don't sleep under a cracked wall or enter a damaged building.
After The first hours
- On the coast: if the quake was strong (you struggled to stay upright, or it lasted over a minute), head for high ground immediately, on foot and without going back for anything. See the tsunami guide →
- Put on closed shoes before walking: the floor will be covered in glass, crockery and nails, and a cut foot takes you out of action exactly when you're needed.
- Check for injuries: control bleeding with direct pressure and keep anyone in shock warm. Don't move someone with a possible spinal injury. Call 131 only for life-threatening emergencies.
- Shut off the gas if you smell a leak, ventilate, leave the house and don't light matches or touch switches — one spark is enough. Call 132 from outside.
- Before staying inside: diagonal or X-shaped cracks in concrete walls, columns with rebar exposed, or doors that no longer close mean structural damage — get out and wait for a professional inspection. Hairline cracks in plaster are cosmetic.
- Store water while there's still pressure: fill the bathtub, buckets and pots. If the health authority warns it isn't safe, bring it to a rolling boil for one minute.
- Send texts instead of calling: networks jam. Put your phone in battery-saver mode, and check on neighbours who live alone.
- Get information only from official channels: SENAPRED, your regional authority and a battery radio. Fake voice notes circulate announcing a "bigger one": nobody can predict that. Don't forward them.
Frequently asked questions
What do I do if I'm inside a house or building?
Drop, take cover under a sturdy table and hold on until the shaking stops. Stay away from windows, mirrors and furniture that could topple. Don't run for the exit or use lifts during the quake.
Is standing in a doorway a good idea?
No. It's a myth from adobe houses, where the frame sometimes stayed standing among collapsed walls. In modern construction it's no stronger than the rest, and the door can hit you. The right answer is still to drop, cover under a sturdy table and hold on.
Should I run out into the street?
No. Most injuries happen from falling objects and glass when people try to run during the shaking. Protect yourself where you are and evacuate calmly only once it has stopped.
What should I do in a high-rise building?
Take cover on the floor you're on, away from window walls and tall furniture. The sway of a well-built building is part of the design. Don't take the stairs while it's moving, and never the lift: once it stops, walk down calmly.
How long do aftershocks last?
Days, weeks and sometimes months, strongest in the first hours. An aftershock can feel almost as strong as the main quake and hits what's already weakened. With each one: drop, cover and hold on.
When should I evacuate to high ground?
If you're on the coast and the quake made it hard to stay on your feet or lasted more than a minute, head for high ground immediately (above 30 metres of elevation) without waiting for an official alarm: a tsunami may be coming.
What should I have ready beforehand?
A kit with three days of water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, a battery radio, a first-aid kit and copies of your documents; closed shoes beside the bed; an agreed meeting point; and tall furniture anchored.
Is it worth phoning people afterwards?
Avoid calling except for life-threatening emergencies: the networks jam. Use text messages or WhatsApp to say you're OK, and keep the 131, 132 and 133 lines free for real emergencies.