Here's a rare glimpse of the shaking that occurs with a "great" earthquake. And I thought Loma Prieta was bad...
For people living in areas prone to big quakes, and we learned this during both Loma Prieta and Northridge:
If you feel substantial vertical motion like is shown in these clips (especially the last one), it means:
A) the quake is big enough to cause structural damage, and
B) you're relatively close to the epicenter.
In this case, don't rely on the standard "run to a doorway" advice. I think even the USGS stopped giving that advice some time ago. Instead, get out of your house, if there's a fast/easy/safe route to the outside.
You'll notice brief lulls in the worst part of the shaking, these pauses are the literal difference between life and death for thousands of people during big quakes, and often allow enough time to get clear of falling debris and structures.
news.bbc.co.uk
For people living in areas prone to big quakes, and we learned this during both Loma Prieta and Northridge:
If you feel substantial vertical motion like is shown in these clips (especially the last one), it means:
A) the quake is big enough to cause structural damage, and
B) you're relatively close to the epicenter.
In this case, don't rely on the standard "run to a doorway" advice. I think even the USGS stopped giving that advice some time ago. Instead, get out of your house, if there's a fast/easy/safe route to the outside.
You'll notice brief lulls in the worst part of the shaking, these pauses are the literal difference between life and death for thousands of people during big quakes, and often allow enough time to get clear of falling debris and structures.
BBC News - The moment when the quake hit Chile
news.bbc.co.uk
