Did you know that September is National Preparedness Month? The catchy government slogan is "Be disaster aware! Take action to prepare!" But how disaster-aware are we really? Lots of the things we know about life's worst calamities are actually wrong--and in some cases, dangerously so. Luckily, Ken Jennings, Jeopardy! survivor and professional know-it-all, is here to set us straight. Because what could be more disastrous than ignorance? Well, maybe a big volcano. Ignorance, and also a big volcano.
The Debunker: Should You Stand in a Doorway During an Earthquake?
If you feel the earth move under your feet, don't head for a doorway, despite everything you've heard. This colossally bad idea is all California's fault. When earthquakes hit the unreinforced adobe homes of old California, the mud bricks would crumble completely, leaving only the wooden doorway-- the lone reinforced part of the house --standing. The idea that the doorway was the safest part of any house became the collective local wisdom.
If you live in an unreinforced adobe house today... well, I applaud your love of old-timey Southwestern design. Stand in your doorway at all times, see if I care. But for the rest of us, a doorway is one of the worst places to be in a quake. For one thing, the door might start swinging wildly, and a big heavy piece of wood on hinges is bad news in an earthquake. You could get knocked down, have your fingers pinched, or worse. Also, people may start running inside or outside during the chaos, and there you are right in their way, just begging to be trampled. Doorways aren't any more earthquake-proof than the rest of a modern framed house, so there's no good reason to be there.
What is the right place to be? If you're outside, get away from buildings, power lines, anything that could fall on you. But if you're inside, it's probably too late to get to a safe spot outdoors. Instead, get low. If possible, take cover under a table or bed or something--and hold on to it. Most earthquake injuries come from flying or falling objects, so you want to stay under something that will shield you. Another idea for a safe spot: try moving to Florida or North Dakota. Those are the two U.S. states that are essentially earthquake-proof. Each will often go decades without the tiniest seismic jiggle. (On the down side, however, you have to live in Florida or North Dakota.)
Quick Quiz: About 90% of the world's earthquakes take place in what Pacific basin region, which shares its name with a #1 country hit of 1963?
Ken Jennings is the author of six books, most recently his Junior Genius Guides, Because I Said So!, and Maphead. He's also the proud owner of an underwhelming Bag o' Crap. Follow him at ken-jennings.com or on Twitter as @KenJennings.