Close or stop equipment configured beforehand
A connected receptor can trigger a technical response. Configuration and testing happen beforehand.
DECIDED BEFOREHAND
A warning gives you seconds. Building assessment needs records and calculations.
P-waves can be detected before S-waves arrive. That gap can trigger a system configured in advance or leave you time to drop, cover and hold. For a building, check four different things: hazard, EVR, technical assessment and works. An alert does not establish an Rs class.
FACT
Vrancea is an intermediate-depth source. A building's risk class requires a technical assessment for that address.
INTERPRETATION
The window helps most when the next step is chosen and rehearsed before the signal.
UNKNOWN
The exact duration varies with location, depth, network and event. INFP gives 20–27 seconds of warning time for Bucharest. A measurement on 123 Vrancea earthquakes from 1965–2024 gives 17–27 seconds after the message is sent, with 26 under 20. Other towns get a different interval.
Synthesis from the sources below
THE CLOCK
Where the seconds between P and S go
The clock illustrates a technical window for connected receivers, not a guaranteed phone-alert countdown. The system detects the P-wave after the earthquake begins and tries to send a signal before the S-wave arrives. It does not predict when an earthquake will happen.
Choose the working window20seconds
- 01 rupture the source starts the signal
- 02 P detected the network sees the first signal
- 03 validation and transmission the message travels to receptors
- 04 configured response a pre-decided action can start
- 05 S arrives stronger motion arrives
Move the marker to see what kind of action can fit inside it.
What fits inside the window
These thresholds are editorial categories. The sources describe the system and protective behavior; personal timing depends on location, network and event.
Drop, cover and hold
If you are indoors, get onto your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on to something solid. Move away from windows; do not run down stairs or outside during shaking.
PROTECTIVE RESPONSE
Check the building class separately
Hazard, EVR, technical assessment and works answer different questions. During the warning window, protect yourself; check the right record before or after it.
QUESTION FOR LATER
| Window | What can fit | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| 5 s | an automatic response configured beforehand | the configuration already exists |
| 10 s | drop, cover and hold indoors | stay inside during shaking |
| 20–27 s | warning time INFP gives for Bucharest | duration depends on location and event |
THE RESPONSE
Protect yourself when you feel shaking or receive a warning
A connected receiver can command a valve or industrial process. For you, protection starts when you feel shaking or receive a warning: do not wait for a RO-ALERT notification. Choose and rehearse the protective response beforehand.
SYSTEM
The receptor executes
A connected system can stop or command equipment. The result depends on configuration, testing and maintenance.
Useful question: what automatic response is connected, and when was it tested?
AT HOME
Drop, cover and hold
If you are indoors, protect your head and neck under a sturdy table or desk or beside an interior wall, away from windows. Stay put during shaking; do not run down stairs.
Useful question: where is the nearest protected place, and what can I hold on to?
ADDRESS
The record answers
For a building, check the right record: hazard, EVR, technical assessment, risk class or works programme.
Useful question: which record am I reading, and what does it tell me?
AFTER THE SIGNAL
When you see "risk", look for the record
In public discussion, "risk" can mean a map, inspection, expert assessment, list or funding programme. Each record answers a different question. A useful order is hazard, EVR, technical assessment, then works.
- 01HazardWHAT IT MEASURES
- 02EVRWHAT IT MEASURES
- 03ExpertiseWHAT IT MEASURES
- 04WorksWHAT IT MEASURES
Choose the record you are checking
Change the record to see what it can support and what the next question is.
WHAT IT MEASURES
Where strong motion is more likely
Hazard describes the source, the ground and probability. For your building, look for a public or technical record dedicated to that address.
NEXT QUESTIONWhich public or technical record exists for the building?
Open the institution's page that defines the record.HazardWhere strong motion is more likely
EVRWhat can be seen quickly from outside
ExpertiseWhat an engineering assessment says about the structure
WorksWhat has been funded and at which stage
BEFORE THE NEXT EARTHQUAKE
Choose the next step before you need it.
A warning can change your first gesture if you choose and rehearse it beforehand. For a building, look for the record that answers your question.
- 01
Indoors, drop, cover and hold. Choose a protected place away from windows.
- 02
If you are outside, move away from buildings, trees, poles and power lines.
- 03
If an automatic response exists, ask who tests it and what it actually stops.
- 04
For a building, separate hazard, EVR, expertise, class and works.
This is an orientation guide. It is not a live alert, a technical assessment or a local evacuation instruction.
PACTRs?
SOURCES AND LIMITS
What we know, and what each record can tell you
Each source below is linked to the claim it supports.
Original sources: 13–14 August 2026 · IGSU clarification on RO-ALERT: 7 November 2026
The 5, 10 and 25-second thresholds show types of response. They do not estimate a personal time window.
What each source supports
WARNINGIGSU
What RO-ALERT can send after an earthquake
RO-ALERT does not issue notifications before earthquakes begin. After an earthquake with serious consequences, it may send protective guidance.
IGSU notice of 11 May 2025, checked 7 November 2026. This concerns RO-ALERT and does not rule out independent services.
Open sourceFACTINFP
Earthquakes in Romania
The Vrancea source is described as an intermediate-depth zone at roughly 60–200 km, alongside local shallow zones.
Geophysical context and the limits of an alert based on seismic waves.
Open sourceHAZARDINFP
Seismic hazard
Romanian hazard combines several seismogenic zones and uses deterministic and probabilistic analyses. It feeds risk assessment; a building class requires the appropriate technical record.
Source, ground, probability and risk; address-level assessment needs a dedicated record.
Open sourceFACTINFP
Earthquake early warning system: description
INFP writes that for Bucharest the interval between detecting the P-wave in the Vrancea epicentral area and the S-wave arrival is about 25–28 seconds and depends on the depth of the earthquake.
The interval runs from detection at the epicentre, before validation and transmission.
Open sourceFACTINFP
Mărmureanu et al. 2011, Soil Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
A warning for Bucharest can be sent about 5 seconds after detection at the epicentre, which leaves 20–27 seconds of warning time.
The abstract describes what the system can do; it does not guarantee the same interval for every earthquake or place.
Open sourceSYSTEMINFP
REWS and Receptor SEISM
The operational system can issue warnings after detecting the P-wave, while configured receptors can trigger automatic responses, including gas electrovalves.
Infrastructure and timing context after validation; this explanatory page does not provide a live alert.
Open sourceRESPONSEDSU / IGSU
Earthquake survival guidance
The guide explains "drop, cover and hold", moving away from windows, and avoiding stairs or running outside during shaking.
General protective behavior; follow authority instructions in a real event. Building assessment is a separate question.
Open sourceRECORDMDLPA
Rapid Visual Assessment
EVR is a simplified exterior observation used for prioritization. An RsI–RsIV class requires a technical assessment.
EVR triage and the engineering record for a risk class answer different questions.
Open sourceLAWRomanian legislative portal
Law no. 212/2022
RsI–RsIV describe different levels of susceptibility and damage. Read "risk" together with the type of record being checked.
Legal definitions and public obligations that apply to an individual address.
Open sourceCURRENTAMCCRS / Bucharest City Hall
Building lists and the consolidation programme
Public lists and PNCCRS projects show stages and funding. They answer an administrative question, different from hazard or an Rs class.
Public pages checked on 13–14 August 2026; values and stages can change.
Open sourceWhat still needs a separate check
- INFP gives 20–27 seconds of warning time for Bucharest (about 25–28 seconds from detection to the S-wave, before the roughly 5 seconds it takes to send). Other places and other earthquakes can have a different interval.
- Warning starts after the signal is detected; it does not anticipate when the earthquake will happen or establish a building's class.
- RO-ALERT does not issue notifications before earthquakes begin. Connected, configured INFP receivers are a separate technical capability; the window does not guarantee a notification on every phone.
- Public lists of buildings, projects and stages can change; check the institution's page before making a decision.
- Protective advice is general. In a real event, follow the authorities and emergency services.
When to check again: check the REWS documentation, protection guidance, and risk and consolidation lists again when they are updated.