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Risk topic
Earthquake preparedness for travelers
How to read a USGS magnitude, what to do in the first 60 seconds of shaking, when to evacuate to high ground — and which travel destinations are seismically active.
TL;DR
- USGS detects every M2.5+ earthquake worldwide within ~60 seconds.
- Drop, cover, hold on — never run outside during shaking.
- If coastal shaking lasts longer than 20 seconds, treat it as a tsunami signal.
- Move to ground at least 30 m above sea level or 3 km inland — do not wait for sirens.
- TravelAlert pushes USGS, EMSC, JMA, BMKG and PTWC alerts within minutes of detection.
Around 500,000 detectable earthquakes occur worldwide every year. About 100,000 can be felt; around 100 cause damage. For travelers in seismically active destinations — Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Turkey, Greece, the US Pacific coast — basic preparedness changes outcomes dramatically.
What earthquake magnitudes actually mean
The Richter and moment-magnitude scales are logarithmic: each step up represents roughly 32× more energy released. M6 is 32× M5; M7 is 1,000× M5. But what travelers feel depends as much on depth and distance as magnitude. A shallow M5 nearby can shake harder than a distant deep M7.
- M2–3: detected by instruments; rarely felt
- M4: widely felt, no damage
- M5: felt strongly, minor damage to weak buildings
- M6: significant damage to poorly constructed buildings
- M7: major damage in inhabited areas
- M8+: catastrophic, region-wide destruction
What to do in the first 60 seconds of shaking
The single most important rule: stay where you are. Most earthquake injuries come from falling debris near building entrances, not collapse. Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck under a sturdy table or against an interior wall, and hold on until shaking stops. Stay clear of windows, mirrors and tall furniture.
- Indoors: Drop, Cover, Hold On — do not run outside
- In bed: stay there, cover head with a pillow
- Outdoors: move to open ground away from buildings, trees, power lines
- Driving: pull over, stay in the vehicle, avoid bridges and overpasses
- Coast: see tsunami section below
Tsunami warning signs
Natural warnings come faster than official ones. If you are on the coast and any of the following occur, evacuate immediately without waiting for sirens or app alerts: shaking that lasts longer than 20 seconds; a sudden retreat of the sea exposing the seabed; or a loud roar from the ocean. Move to ground at least 30 m above sea level or 3 km inland. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami and the 2018 Sulawesi tsunami both arrived faster than any official advisory.
Most seismically active travel destinations
If you are heading to any of the following, save the relevant destination page and enable push notifications:
- Indonesia — Bali, Lombok, Sumatra, Sulawesi (Ring of Fire)
- Japan — Tokyo, Kyoto, Okinawa (Pacific subduction zones)
- Mexico — CDMX, Pacific coast (Cocos plate subduction)
- Turkey — Istanbul, southern provinces (North & East Anatolian Faults)
- Greece — Aegean islands, Crete (Hellenic subduction)
- Philippines — Luzon, Mindanao (Philippine Trench)
- Chile, Peru, Ecuador (Pacific coast)
- US Pacific Northwest, California, Alaska
Official sources for this topic
No rumors — only verified agencies.
- USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
Detects every M2.5+ earthquake worldwide within ~60 seconds.
- EMSC
European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre; often faster regionally than USGS.
- JMA
Japan Meteorological Agency — real-time earthquake and tsunami alerts.
- Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
Issues tsunami advisories within minutes of triggering events.
Agency names and trademarks are property of their respective owners. TravelAlert is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of these organizations. We surface their publicly available data; we do not speak for them and do not guarantee accuracy, completeness, or timeliness.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do if an earthquake hits while I'm in a hotel?
Drop, cover, hold on — do not run for the exit. Most injuries happen near entrances from falling debris. Get under a sturdy table or against an interior wall away from windows. Stay there until shaking stops.
How long do I have before a tsunami hits after a coastal earthquake?
It varies — from 10 minutes (nearby M8) to several hours (distant M9). Do not wait for an official advisory: if shaking lasted more than 20 seconds, evacuate immediately to ground above 30 m or 3 km inland.
Are modern hotels safe in earthquakes?
Post-1985 buildings in Japan, California, Mexico City and Chile are engineered for shaking and perform well in M7+ events. Older or unreinforced masonry buildings — common in some Mediterranean and Southeast Asian destinations — are higher risk.
Should I avoid seismic destinations?
No. Tens of millions of travelers visit Japan, Indonesia, Mexico and Greece every year. Awareness and basic preparedness change outcomes; complete avoidance is not warranted.
Will TravelAlert wake me up at night for every earthquake?
No. You set the severity threshold. Most travelers configure 'major events within 200 km' — enough to know about meaningful local activity, quiet enough to sleep.
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Open TravelAlertLast updated: 4 June 2026.