Earthquake Guidelines

The Regional Security Office at the U.S. Consulate Dubai and the Dubai Country Council compiled this report:

Incident Summary

On Sunday, November 27th, 2005, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 shook southern Iran with no immediate reports of any casualties. State television said the tremor struck at 1:30 p.m. (1000 GMT) and was centered close to the Qeshm Island near Bandar Abbas city. Another report said it was of a 6.1 magnitude, some 58 km (36 miles) southwest of Bandar Abbas at 1022 GMT. 

A tremor was also felt in the neighboring United Arab Emirates, prompting many people to evacuate buildings. Witnesses in high-rise buildings said they felt the ground shaking beneath them for about a minute. Many residents evacuated their buildings and waited on the streets. 

The American Consulate Dubai, located in the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC), felt the sway and identified creaking sounds from the earthquake's impact on the building. 

The Regional Security Office (RSO) gave preparatory commands over the loud speaker to advise personnel in the Consulate of ongoing events and to warn them to stay away from the windows and to await further instructions. After waiting approximately 3-5 minutes to delay the possibility of harm from falling debris or the possibility of windows shattering, the RSO then implemented a full evacuation.

General Information on Earthquakes and the UAE

In response to the recent tremors, seismic experts have provided the following information: 

- Parts of the UAE have the potential for a substantial earthquake. This potential is greatest for regions near the Oman Mountains. 

- In much of the UAE, the weakly consolidated materials on which buildings are constructed would tend to amplify ground-motions (i.e., liquefaction), thus increasing the likelihood of damage to buildings. 

- Because the recurrence interval of earthquakes is not known, a useful assessment of seismic risk in the UAE probably cannot be made at this time. It is probably reasonable to conclude that seismic risk in the UAE is less than that in western California, but it also is reasonable to conclude that it is not zero. 

- One should also consider the tsunami risk to the eastern coast of the UAE, as a large displacement along the Makran Fault (fault offshore of Iran and in the Gulf of Oman), could produce a tsunami.

Preparedness and Response Guidelines

Some basic guidelines to consider in the case of such a catastrophe or to review when addressing the issue of preparedness include: 

- Be familiar with emergency and fire evacuation plans and routes. 
- Do not use the elevator. 
- Always make sure that someone has emergency contact information for you, or that you reach out to your families, employees or the U.S. government to communicate your safe status as soon as possible after a major incident.

If you are an employer, you should: 

- Always maintain an up-to-date plan that is not only regularly communicated to employees, but also is tested/drilled. 
- Regularly test your emergency communication systems (intercom, radios, cellular phones, etc.) and make sure employees know what frequencies to use and what the commands mean. 
- Make sure all exit routes are clearly marked. 

If you are indoors:

- DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON. If you are not near a desk or table, drop to the floor against an interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. 
- Avoid exterior walls, windows, hanging objects, mirrors, tall furniture, large appliances, and cabinets filled with heavy objects.
- Do not go outside until well after the shaking stops. 

In bed: Hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. You are less likely to be injured staying where you are. Broken glass on the floor can cause injuries; be sure to put shoes on before stepping on the floor. 

In a high rise building: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Avoid windows and other hazards. Do not use elevators. Do not be surprised if sprinkler systems or fire alarms activate. 

At work: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Know your workplace's earthquake safety plan and put it into action. When safe, move to a specified meeting location. 

In a public building or theater: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. If in a theater seat, duck down and protect your head and neck with your arms. Don't try to leave until the shaking is over. Then walk out slowly, watching for fallen debris or anything that could fall on you in aftershocks.

If you are outdoors:

- Move to a clear area if you can safely do so; avoid buildings, power lines, trees, and other hazards. Always assume fallen power lines are live. 

Near tall buildings: Windows, facades, and architectural details are often the first parts of a building to collapse. Get away from this danger zone when shaking starts. Take refuge in a safe building or an open space. 

Driving: When able, safely pull over to the side of the road, stop, and set the parking brake. Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, signs, trees, and other things that might collapse or fall on the vehicle. Stay inside the vehicle until the shaking is over. If a power line falls on the vehicle, stay inside until a trained person removes the hazard.
In a stadium: Stay at your seat and protect your head and neck with your arms. Don't try to leave until the shaking is over. Then exit slowly, avoiding debris and watching for anything that could fall in aftershocks. 

Near the beach: Tsunamis from local earthquakes may flood low-lying coasts within minutes of the quake. Distant, large earthquakes can produce tsunamis that may arrive hours later. If you feel a strong quake, hear a tsunami warning, or notice the water suddenly withdrawing from the beach, evacuate immediately to higher ground. Tsunami waves may continue to arrive for hours, so do not return to the shore until an "all clear message" has been issued. 

Near a dam: Dams can fail during a major earthquake. Catastrophic failure is unlikely, but if you are downstream from a dam, you should know flood-zone information and have prepared an evacuation plan.