Experts say a 6.7 magnitude or larger earthquake is expected on the southern San Andreas fault sometime in the next 3 decades. That means, it's important to be prepared: at home and on the road.
If you're at home and you start to feel some shaking, it's important to protect your head and neck.
"Get under something if you can," said Kate Long, research specialist with Cal Emergency Management Agency. " Get next to something sturdy if you can't get under something. You're really trying to protect yourself from some of the stuff inside your house."
When an earthquake hits, there's no time to run and the ground is moving, so your traction is off.
"There's all kinds of debris that's fallen off of your shelves and people slip on that," said Long. "That's another reason people injure themselves."
Long also said that it's unlikely that your house will collapse, but you do need to worry about falling items.
"If I'm next to something that I think is dangerous, like let's say I have grandma's china on the top shelf, I'm going to try to move, but I'm going to try to move from my low position," said Long.
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You may also want to keep some items close to your bed, so that you can get out of your house safely after a devastating earthquake.
"I have a little bag by my bed and it has shoes, a flashlight in one shoe and the batteries in the other shoe so that the batteries will last longer," said Long. "I have a whistle. I have my car keys. I have an extra pair of glasses."
She said Californians may have a false sense of security since the small earthquakes we usually experience don't shake that much.
And, if you're not at home, you need to make a plan for where you spend most of your time, including in your car.
"It is going to be harder to tell what's going on. You might think you have a flat tire. You want to pull over as quickly as you can, set the parking brake and stay in the car," said Long.
If you are in an office environment, go for cover under your desk.
"That's a nice sturdy piece of furniture. If you work in another environment, look around you and see what might fall on you and make a plan for how you drop, cover and hold on," said Long.
And, if you are outside, you should still drop to the ground and cover your head and neck.
"I'm going to try to make sure I'm not near power lines or overhead obstacles. You really may not be able to move very far, but you are looking for an open area if you can," she said.
And, what if you're asleep?
"If you're in bed, stay in bed and put a pillow over your head."
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