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Story: Earthquakes

Drop, cover and hold

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Drop, cover and hold

Many people died in the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake when they were hit by falling masonry after running outside. Today school children have regular earthquake drills, and are taught to stay inside and use the drop, cover and hold technique.

Using this item

Alexander Turnbull Library, Dominion Post Collection (PA-Group-00685)

Reference: EP/1991/1627-F

by Mark Coote

Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Eileen McSaveney, Earthquakes – Living with earthquakes, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/4421/drop-cover-and-hold (accessed 4 June 2026).

Story by Eileen McSaveney, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 August 2017.