Drop, cover, and hold on! In California, millions of people were instructed to pause their classes, office work, and other activities at 10:19 a.m. PT on Thursday for the earthquake safety drill called the Great ShakeOut. This annual drill, observed on the third Thursday in October, aims to educate the public about earthquake safety and preparedness. The Great ShakeOut started in 2008 after a team of experts modeled potential damages from a major earthquake and emphasized the importance of public education. Now supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Great ShakeOut has expanded beyond California, with drills taking place across the United States and internationally. Over 17.5 million people are expected to participate nationwide, with a global registration of at least 56 million individuals. Although the motto “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” is often used for indoor earthquake safety, the Great ShakeOut also focuses on teaching people how to react in outdoor or car-related situations. Participating in the drill and raising awareness about earthquake hazards is crucial, as earthquakes can occur anywhere at any time. California, being situated on a major fault line, is highly prone to earthquakes. The San Andreas fault, running parallel to the Pacific Coast, poses significant risks to densely populated areas like the Bay Area and Los Angeles. Movement along this fault and other smaller faults within the San Andreas Fault System drives California earthquakes. The recurrence interval on the Hayward fault, for example, is estimated between 140-170 years, indicating the likelihood of a major earthquake in the Bay Area within the next 30 years. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there is a 51% chance of a 7.0 major earthquake causing significant damage in the San Francisco Bay area and a 46% chance in the Los Angeles area. This year’s Great ShakeOut comes after significant earthquake activity in California, including the 34th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake on Tuesday. An emergency alert test message was also scheduled to go out via the MyShake mobile application in coordination with the Great ShakeOut drill.
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