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Lindol: what to do during and after

Inside a sound building, stay there and duck, cover and hold. Outside, get to open ground. Near the shore, go to higher ground straight away without waiting for a warning. That is PHIVOLCS's guidance, and the rest of this page is the detail.

Was that a lindol just now? This page has no live data. PHIVOLCS lists the latest earthquake it records on its Latest Earthquake Information page. See where to check earthquake updates for how to read a bulletin.

Written for the Philippines. In an emergency here, the number is 911.

What a lindol is

Lindol is Filipino for earthquake. PHIVOLCS defines an earthquake as a weak to violent shaking of the ground, produced by the sudden movement of rock below the earth's surface. The point underground where it starts is the focus, or hypocentre; the point on the surface directly above it is the epicentre.

PHIVOLCS measures it two ways. Magnitude is one number for the energy released. Intensity, in Roman numerals, is how strongly it was felt in a given place, so one lindol has many intensities. The difference is explained on the magnitude and intensity page.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Introduction to Earthquake. Read 8 October 2026.

During the lindol

Stay calm. What you do depends on where you are when it starts.

During the shaking: it depends on where you are

The four cases in the PHIVOLCS Earthquake Preparedness Guide. The full wording of each is below.

Inside Outside Near the shore In a vehicle
Inside
In a structurally sound building, stay inside and duck, cover and hold.
Outside
Away from trees, power lines, posts, concrete structures and steep slopes.
Near the shore
If you feel an earthquake near the coast, especially a strong one, a tsunami might follow.
In a vehicle
Do not cross bridges, overpasses or flyovers, which may be damaged.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Earthquake Preparedness Guide: What to do Before, During and After an earthquake (June 2009, reprinted April 2011). Read 8 October 2026. The guide is a download listed on that page.

  1. Inside a structurally sound building or home: stay there. Duck under a sturdy desk or table and hold on to it, or protect your head with your arms. If you can do it quickly, open the door for an exit.
  2. Stay away from glass windows, shelves, cabinets and other heavy objects.
  3. Beware of falling objects. Be alert and keep your eyes open.
  4. Outside: move to an open area. Stay away from trees, power lines, posts and concrete structures, and from steep slopes that a landslide could take.
  5. Near the shore: move quickly to higher ground. Especially if the shaking is strong. Tsunamis might follow.
  6. In a moving vehicle: stop and get out. Do not try to cross bridges, overpasses or flyovers.

How to do the duck, cover and hold properly, and what to do with no table nearby, is on the duck, cover and hold page.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Earthquake Preparedness Guide: What to do Before, During and After an earthquake (June 2009, reprinted April 2011). Read 8 October 2026. The guide is a download listed on that page.

Doorway or table? Follow PHIVOLCS

You may read different advice. A Department of Health page says to head for the nearest exit and leave, or to brace yourself in a doorway. PHIVOLCS, the agency responsible for earthquakes, says that inside a structurally sound building you stay where you are and duck, cover and hold under something sturdy. This page follows PHIVOLCS.

The two also differ in a car. The DOH page says to pull over and stay low inside the vehicle. PHIVOLCS says that in a moving vehicle you stop and get out. Again, this page follows PHIVOLCS.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Earthquake Preparedness Guide: What to do Before, During and After an earthquake (June 2009, reprinted April 2011). Read 8 October 2026. The guide is a download listed on that page.

Source: DOH (Healthy Pilipinas), What to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Read 8 October 2026.

After the shaking stops

  1. Be prepared for aftershocks. Once the shaking stops, take the fastest and safest way out of the building. (PHIVOLCS)
  2. Do not use lifts, do not go into damaged buildings, use the phone only if you must, and do not panic. (PHIVOLCS)
  3. Check yourself and the people around you for injuries, and look for anyone trapped nearby. Get medical help for anyone hurt. (PHIVOLCS and DOH)
  4. Check the water and electrical lines for damage. If in doubt, shut off the main switches. (PHIVOLCS and DOH)
  5. If you smell gas or hear a leak you cannot shut off, leave at once. (DOH)
  6. Check for spills of chemical, toxic and flammable materials, and control fires that may spread. (PHIVOLCS)
  7. If you have to leave home, leave a message saying where you are going, and take the emergency kit. (PHIVOLCS)
  8. Keep a battery-operated radio on for instructions. (PHIVOLCS)

The DOH adds one more: even a small earthquake can bring on anxiety or panic attacks, so check on family and friends who felt it and be ready to support them.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Earthquake Preparedness Guide: What to do Before, During and After an earthquake (June 2009, reprinted April 2011). Read 8 October 2026. The guide is a download listed on that page.

Source: DOH (Healthy Pilipinas), What to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Read 8 October 2026.

Aftershocks

PHIVOLCS's first instruction once a strong lindol ends is to be prepared for aftershocks, the further earthquakes that can follow it. Leave by the fastest and safest way as soon as the shaking stops, and stay out of damaged buildings.

Every PHIVOLCS earthquake bulletin has a line that reads "Expecting Aftershocks: YES" or "NO". Check it for the earthquake you felt. Bulletins also mark a later quake as an aftershock of an earlier one when it is.

On slopes, watch for cracks in the ground. PHIVOLCS says tension cracks that open during the main shock are a sign of a coming landslide, which a later earthquake or heavy, prolonged rain can set off.

PHIVOLCS's own pages give no fixed length of time for aftershocks, so neither does this one. Follow the bulletin and your local disaster office.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Earthquake Preparedness Guide: What to do Before, During and After an earthquake (June 2009, reprinted April 2011). Read 8 October 2026. The guide is a download listed on that page.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Earthquake Information No. 2, 8 October 2026, offshore Glan, Sarangani. Read 8 October 2026.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Earthquake Hazards. Read 8 October 2026.

Near the sea: do not wait for a warning

PHIVOLCS says a local tsunami can reach the shore within 2 to 5 minutes, and that every coastal area in the Philippines can be affected. A bulletin may not reach you in that time, so treat the earthquake itself as the warning.

  • Do not stay in low-lying coastal areas after a felt earthquake. Move to higher ground immediately.
  • If the sea suddenly drops or behaves strangely, move to high ground.
  • Never go down to the beach to watch. When you see the wave, you are too close to escape it.

The three natural signs and the PHIVOLCS bulletins are on the tsunami page.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Introduction to Tsunami. Read 8 October 2026.

Source: PHIVOLCS, Earthquake Hazards. Read 8 October 2026.

Before the next lindol

An earthquake gives no warning, so what helps is done beforehand: furniture bolted down, a kit packed, a drill practised.

Read the earthquake guide Paghahanda sa lindol, poster The earthquake drill

Source: PHIVOLCS, Earthquake Scenarios: Mahalaga sa Tamang Paghahanda at Pagtugon sa Malalakas na Lindol. Read 8 October 2026.

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This is not an emergency service. Nobody watches it in real time and a reply can take days. If you or someone near you is in danger right now, stop and ring 911.

A question about a guide, a hotline number that has changed, or a hazard we should cover next. One person reads it.