Should You Stand in a Doorway During an Earthquake? (Probably Not.)

When an earthquake rattled New York City on Friday, Mayor Eric Adams advised New Yorkers to take cover under a piece of furniture or in a doorway if there were aftershocks.

But most experts say a doorway is not the best place to go during such an event. And a city website dedicated to being prepared for an earthquake echoes that view.

“Do not get in a doorway,” the site warns, “as this does not provide protection from falling or flying objects and you likely will not be able to remain standing.”

Keith Porter, a research professor in the Department of Civil Environmental and Architectural Engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder, said the best advice from experts is to drop, cover and hold on (to the table or whatever other furniture you take shelter under).

Seeking shelter in a doorway is risky in several ways, Professor Porter said. For one thing, many doorways have doors that swing, which can be dangerous in an earthquake. And simply walking to a doorway could expose a person to falling or flying objects.

“I would say that is outdated advice,” he said of the mayor’s doorway suggestion.