Hi Bob & Canie,

When Don and I were at the AGU we had the opportunity to talk to at least a handful of scientists about our work in earthquake preparedness. Not one of them knew anything about it and they thought running out of a building was the best thing to do.

While discussing home safety is important I try to cover the events that occur away from home as these are the places I feel people are at the greatest risk, due to unfamiliar surroundings. But one area I thought of recently are elevated parking garages. I have no idea if these places have strict safety guidelines and if they are older, then building codes might not have been as stringent as they are today. For me personally, I don't think I'd like to be there when an earthquake strikes.

I think it is a natural instinct to run out of a structure during an earthquake and in foreign countries with poor construction standards that might be the best thing to do. If you look at what occurred in Mexico City and Russia and a few more places on the globe, we have seen safety codes tossed aside to save a buck.

This Solomon Islands quake lasted for two minutes and I am totally amazed that there were no reported deaths, injuries or major damage. This may change as more information is collected.

Petra

• The Seismic Safety Zone