Drop, cover and hold on. That's the message the California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) wants residents to remember when an earthquake hits.
The Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill on Oct. 20 is part of a worldwide event to remind people to prepare for an earthquake.
"It's important for muscle memory," said Lori Nezhura, deputy director of planning, preparedness and prevention for Cal OES. "When that earthquake comes, it's what we call a no-notice event. So you need to be ready at a moment's notice when you feel the shaking."
Roughly 9.4 million California residents will participate in the drill, including more than 800,000 in San Diego County. Residents can still register and do the drill at any time at shakeout.org/california. The drill can be as quick as 90 seconds. The site also has tips that can help you prepare for an earthquake.
"Those precious seconds will help save your lives or the lives of your family, potentially," Nezhura said.
After the drill, participants are encouraged to check their surroundings for things that might fall or topple during intense shaking.
Cal OES encourages people to secure furniture and wall hangings to prevent them from falling and injuring people.
This is also the time when residents should review and update their emergency plans. Those with an emergency plan have a better chance at survival during a major emergency because first responders may not be able to get to people for basic first aid calls, Cal Fire San Diego said.
The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services also encourages residents to download the county's SD Emergency App, which includes ShakeReadySD, an early earthquake warning system.
"(It) can notify people of intense shaking several seconds before it begins. This can give people time to seek cover,” San Diego County Office of Emergency Services director Jeff Toney said. “The key to surviving an earthquake is having a plan and practicing it in different environments. Where you might seek cover at home is not the same as what you might do in your workplace or in your vehicle.”
You can also download the MyShake App, it’s a statewide earthquake warning system.
