A web search using key words “” led me to a UNR class (Geology 100: Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and other Natural Disasters) page titled Earthquake Effects, which focussed on the 1995 Hyogo-Ken Nanbu (Kobe) quake. I took two key pieces of information from the page: 1. Wood frame structures, if they lack adequate shear strength, can actually fail more dramatically then adjacent concrete structures; and, 2. Do not, under any circumstance, run outside.

Regarding the first point:

Behind this completely collapsed wood-frame house is a house of reinforced concrete that suffered no structural damage. The number of wood versus masonry buildings that collapsed in Kobe astonished most observers, as wood-frame structures are usually thought to be much better at resisting shear forces. Possibly the concrete house was better-designed and stronger even for its greater weight. The proportionally heavier tile roofs on wooden houses also might have been a factor.

A picture tells of what happens at street level during an earthquake. Trust me, you’re safer inside: