Oh no! What's happening?

Is there a monster?

Tia! Tia! Help!

Tofu! Take cover!

Lie down under the bed!

It's an earthquake!

What was that?

I feel so terrified, Tia!

Come on, let's get up!

It was an earthquake!

Oh Tofu!

Don't cry! Come here!

Tia! What is an earthquake?

I thought the world was ending!

Oh Tofu! Come!

Sleep in my room for tonight.

I'll tell you what an earthquake is and how we can protect ourselves when such calamity occurs.

Okay! So let's start by knowing how an earthquake occurs.

When the tectonic plates of the earth move, when the tectonic plates of the earth suddenly collide into each other that's what causes an earthquake.

What are tectac...

ummm...

The tectonic plates!

So basically, tectonic plates are like puzzle pieces that together make up the surface of the earth.

These plates move constantly but you can't feel it.

The place of the origin of the earthquakes is called the hypocentre and the place where they occur on the earth's surface is called the epicentre.

Oh! I see!

The shaking movement that we just felt was a tremor.

Sometimes these tremors can be very strong and sometimes the tremors are barely noticeable.

The strength of the tremors is measured in the Richter scale the highest ever recorded being 9.6.

Oh my God! Really?

Yes! Earthquakes can severely damage everything around us and even our lives are at an alarming risk.

But Tia, how can we protect ourselves when everything around us is falling apart?

That's a good question Tofu.

We can always try the drop, cover and hold method.

If you are in bed, covering your head with a pillow can protect you during minor earthquakes.

I just covered my head but that was because I was scared.

Oh Tofu!

And you can take shelter under sturdy surfaces like we just did under the bed.

Just drop down wherever you are, crawl and find an overhead shelter and wait under the cover until the tremors stop.

That's a smart idea Tia!

Drop, cover and hold!

But what if we are outside our homes?

If you are outside your home, try staying away from buildings trees and electricity poles.

Try to find wide open spaces to protect yourself when buildings collapse.

But what if we are inside a building?

If you are inside a building, do not use the elevator to go down.

Always take the stairs.

Stay away from windows as shattered glass can seriously harm you.

And what if we are in a vehicle?

If you are in a vehicle, try finding an open spot.

Turn down the vehicle, pull the parking brakes immediately and stay inside.

Avoid parking near utility poles, overhead wires and under overpasses.

And you can also turn on the radio for emergency broadcasts.

Oh! Now I know everything.

I can protect myself from an earthquake.

Yes, you do, smart boy!