More than 10 million Californians registered to participate in the International ShakeOut Day on October 17, practicing the three actions of “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” as self-protection measures during earthquakes, according to the Global Earthquake Drill website.
ShakeOut.org indicated that over 57 million people worldwide registered to take part in this annual event this year, with nearly one million participants in San Diego County alone.
Mark Benthien, the global coordinator of ShakeOut based in Los Angeles, stated to Epoch Times that ShakeOut serves as a reminder for people to remember how to protect themselves during earthquakes and to practice the actions of dropping to the ground, seeking cover, and holding on.
Benthien is also the director of the Earthquake Country Alliance. The ShakeOut initiative began with an earthquake drill event held by the organization in Los Angeles in 2008. Benthien mentioned in a press release on October 16, “We never imagined it would expand statewide, nationally, and even globally.”
The Earthquake Country Alliance is now part of the Statewide California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California, offering a wealth of earthquake emergency preparedness information in various languages, including Chinese, to help people better prepare for earthquakes.
According to data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the probabilities of a 6.7, 7, or 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurring in the Los Angeles area in the next 30 years are 60%, 46%, and 31%, respectively. In San Francisco, these probabilities are 72%, 51%, and 20%.
Geologist Kate Scharer from the USGS office in Pasadena told Epoch Times that as the much-discussed “Big One” earthquake is a looming threat in California, “We will definitely experience at least one major earthquake in our lifetime.”
Scharer explained that California is at high risk of earthquakes due to its location at the boundary between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate, where the active San Andreas Fault and other faults exist.
She elaborated, “These plates are constantly moving and pushing against each other, accumulating energy over time. And with the ongoing construction activities happening on these plates, the energy buildup eventually has to be released, resulting in earthquakes.”
While earthquakes remain unpredictable, geologists can issue alerts for earthquakes that have just begun. California has hundreds of earthquake monitoring stations to detect the initial tremors of an earthquake.
In case at least three monitoring stations detect seismic activity when an earthquake just starts, the system automatically triggers an alert. This early warning system could provide seconds or even longer warning time for the impending stronger tremors.
Scharer emphasized, “The purpose of the alert is to inform you to take cover under a table when the shaking occurs. You have those few seconds to do that.”
However, she highlighted that while the alert system is valuable, it cannot replace earthquake emergency preparedness. “You need to be ready in advance with supplies like water and an emergency plan. The alert won’t help you address those issues.”
Before the Earthquake Drill Day, California’s Governor’s Office of Emergency Services conducted its annual earthquake self-protection awareness tour from October 14 to 16, providing earthquake emergency preparedness guidance to the public. The tour included stops in San Diego, Los Angeles, and Sacramento, featuring a mobile earthquake shake simulator for people to experience the intensity of shaking during an earthquake.
CalOES encouraged the public to utilize tools like the MyShake app, Android Earthquake Alerts, and Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) to receive earthquake notifications before the event.
Diana Ibrahim from the CalOES Public Relations Department informed Epoch Times that the MyShake app and Android Alerts are automatically set to notify users for earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 and above, while the WEA system alerts for earthquakes of magnitude 5.0 and above. Users can also choose the minimum earthquake intensity for which they wish to receive notifications.
Ibrahim highlighted that past data shows California’s earthquake alert systems are quite accurate, typically providing seconds to tens of seconds of warning before shaking arrives, allowing people time to protect themselves during earthquakes by dropping, covering, and holding on until the shaking stops.
In addition to the three self-protection actions during earthquakes, experts suggest taking the following four steps to enhance earthquake emergency preparedness and ensure swift recovery post-earthquake:
1. Identify potential hazards in your home and secure movable items.
2. Develop an emergency plan and decide how to communicate post-earthquake.
3. Keep emergency supplies in easily accessible locations.
4. To minimize post-quake financial burdens, organize and store important documents beforehand, reinforce property as necessary, and consider purchasing relevant insurance to cover earthquake-related losses.