Should you stay in or out of tall buildings during an earthquake? In an earthquake, if you are on an upper story of a building, do not try to leave the building during the earthquake. After the earthquake, I would put on shoes, grab my purse, and leave the building until it has been inspected for damage. Being outside and far from any building during an earthquake and its aftershocks is best, but actually traversing a building (and its immediate surroundings) during an earthquake is a terrible idea. Some considerations: Walking/running during an earthquake is dangerous. The floor/ground is moving! Studies in Japan have showed that traversing as little as ~10 ft (3 m) during an earthquake significantly increases your odds of injury. Taking cover is the only way to protect from falling debris, the main source of injury in an earthquake. You do not know when you first feel the shaking how large the earthquake will be. So if you want to leave, you will be taking the risks of falling and