On Apr. 3, 2024, an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude struck the city of Hualien, Taiwan.

The earthquake was felt throughout Taiwan and affected many people.

This includes Singaporean actress Yvonne Lim.

The 46-year-old moved to Taipei nine years ago, to live with her Taiwanese husband and two young children.

In an interview with Mothership, the actress shared about her recent experience.

Anti-earthquake building

Lim was at her home in Taipei — a two-storey penthouse on the 26th floor — when the earthquake happened.

Despite living in the new anti-earthquake building, Lim shared that the impact she felt was still quite bad.

As a result of the earthquake, the building suffered a power outage, which meant the lifts were inaccessible.

The actress recalled wanting to run down the stairs to get to the ground floor of the building but was swiftly stopped by her husband.

"He's very nonchalant about it," Lim said.

"He's like, 'Oh, we're on the 26th floor, what can we do? Even if we run, the building might fall, so staying put is the best way.'"

The 46-year-old explained that her husband has experienced far more earthquakes than the average Singaporean, so earthquakes don't faze him as much.

Aftershocks

After the initial earthquake, Lim said she was preparing a meal for her children when an aftershock occurred.

"I had the stove on, and then there's all the aftershocks going on," the actress shared.

"[My husband] was worried, and told me maybe I should turn off the stove first."

This, she explained, was to prevent gas leaks, which may potentially result in a fire, he explained.

What to prepare in case

She also reserves a corner in her home for emergency supplies.

These include emergency blankets, flashlights and whistles, which one would need to use to get the attention of rescuers if they are trapped.

She also keeps water and snacks handy, though these may eventually expire. "I think we'll have to get new ones after yesterday," she noted.

What to do in case of an earthquake?

Stay where you are

If one is indoors, Lim advised to stay wherever you are, kneel and cover your head.

She explained that crouching down helps to lower one's centre of gravity, which helps to improve one's balance in a shaky environment.

Protect your head

In school, her children were taught to protect themselves with books or their school bags — essentially anything that could cover their heads.

One popular piece of advice is to hide beneath tables, but Lim noted that these may not be accessible in places like hotel rooms, where dressing tables may be too small to hide beneath.

Another place to consider, as suggested by Lim's husband, would be the toilet.

According to him, bathrooms often have little hanging overhead, and the toilet bowl also allows access to water, should anything happen.

Leave the door open

Another less common advice is leaving the door open, a tip shared by Lim's friend who experienced the Jiji earthquake 1999.

She shared that if the door is closed, it may be bent out of shape, potentially trapping one within a location.

Find an open space

Though Lim was fortunately indoors during the disaster, she advised against standing near buildings or construction sites if one were outdoors.

The actress also points out that it may be instinctive to take cover beneath trees, but these may also fall.

She recalled that trees were still falling, even when her children were on their way to school the next day.

If caught outdoors, staying in an open area would be safest.

She said that her daughter was taught this in school during an earthquake drill: "There is nothing under the sky."

Top photos from Yvonne Lim's Instagram page.