The East Coast Remains Dangerously Unprepared For Earthquakes — What You Should Know
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 hit New York City and the surrounding area at 10:23 a.m. on Friday morning. It was also felt across Maryland, Delaware, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Massachusetts.
The earthquake comes just days after Taiwan was devastated after enduring the strongest earthquake in over two decades, leaving nine people dead and over 800 injured.
According to Northeastern Global News, damaging seismic activity on the east coast is extremely rare, with the last significant event occurring back in 2011 near Richmond, Virginia, measuring at 5.8.
In 2024, the east coast remains dangerously underprepared for seismic events, and if an earthquake hits hard enough, there would certainly be a large shortage of resources.
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Northeastern professor and co-director at the Global Resilience Institute Daniel Aldrich also shared concern for the lack of preparedness.
"With the exception of San Francisco, we are very unprepared for earthquakes in North America," Aldrich began. "In Australia and New Zealand, individual buildings have been raided to make sure they are earthquake-proof."
"To what degree is it safe to stay in your house after an earthquake in the four, five or six magnitude range? We have no idea. Again, here in North America most of us aren't thinking about that," he said.
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The Centers For Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) released a full scale explanation detailing what to do if you find yourself in an earthquake and don't know what to do.
Get to cover. Drop down to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on to your shelter. Find shelter underneath a table or desk and stay put until the rumbling stops. You may need to move along with your shelter if necessary. Do not let it go.
Contrary to belief, it's safer to stay indoors when an earthquake strikes. If you are inside, stay inside, the CDC suggests. You're less likely to be injured if you stay where you are. If possible, move away from glass bookcases, china, or anything that can fall over. Steer clear of bricks, wall fixtures, and cabinets.
See more about how to stay safe during earthquakes here.
