Outside is smart..... My problem was I had never experienced a quake so it took a bit to figure out not a tornado/wind, in which case I want shelter as deep inside as I can get. Earthquake want to be away from falling and not inside collapsible structures.
Outside, your house or it's contents can't fall on you. Listening to a few calls for possible gas leaks as well, so that's another thing to consider. Cherry Hill had reports of a partial structural collapse, but it was cleared as superficial damage. I don't think there's a fire department in the area right now that's in station with all of the investigation calls coming in.