Sixty million people worldwide registered for today’s International ShakeOut Day coordinated earthquake drill, including about 19 million people within the United States and its territories.
Most participants practiced how to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” during the drills. ShakeOut organizers recommend people follow the Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety to get fully prepared to survive and recover from the next damaging earthquake.
“ShakeOut encourages cross-sector, whole community conversation and action about earthquake preparedness, inspiring people to make better decisions for how they can prepare to survive and recover,” said Mark Benthien, Global ShakeOut Coordinator and Outreach Director for the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California. “We’re all in this together!”
Recommended actions for a variety of special situations (in a theater, in a car, etc.) and for people with disabilities are described at EarthquakeCountry.org/step5 in the form of text, graphics, and videos, for a variety of learners.
“Earthquakes can happen in any community at any time,” said Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Brock Long. “I encourage everyone to participate in ShakeOut because it’s a quick and easy way to get the training needed to keep you safe in the event of an earthquake.”
