What should you not do when an earthquake hits?

Answer 1

The way you posed your question allows only a limited answer. You should not be in a place where a lot of things can collapse on you. You should not have flammable materials stored inside buildings.

More generally, what you should do when an earthquake strikes:

You cannot predict where you will be before an earthquake starts and you don't know when it will happen. There is nothing you can do BEFORE an earthquake. If you do experience an earthquake you must look for a safe place to protect yourself. When I was a child they told us to get under a table. Some people recommend getting into a closet if you are at home since it has the most amount of wood around it and it is the smallest space.

I have usually been outside during earthquakes. When I was indoors I got away from walls with hanging pictures on them. And I stayed away from the kitchen because they are the most dangerous places with all the glass and heavy stuff that comes flying out of cabinets. A refrigerator can even fly across the room. If you can get out of the house then do so and go to an open place.

If you are in a downtown area run away if you are near a glass building. The experts expect that there will be 5 feet of glass in most downtown areas if the earthquake is strong enough to break all the glass in the modern buildings we have now. If you find yourself downtown and you are outside try to get to a shelter that could protect you from the flying glass.

If you are outside and in an open area SIT DOWN. If you are in a car you may not feel the earthquake. If you can feel it while driving PULL OVER and stop. Do not stay on a bridge or go under a bridge or overpass.

Once the earthquake is over beware of fires and falling debris. You need to realize you may not have phone service, including cellular service. If you need to get a message to a relative there are Amateur Radio people who set up radios to send messages locally, nationwide or world wide. Many of them set up by the Red Cross or Salvation Army.

Stay away from the shoreline.

Answer 2

Do not PANIC! Try to not get under weak parts of your house, like under a fan, and avoid windows.