Drop, cover and hold on! The Great California Shakeout is today
The Great Shakeout is set for Thursday, October 15th. It’s a world-wide earthquake drill held each year on the third Thursday of October.
Valley residents are encouraged to take part at 10:15 a.m. and make sure they have a plan in place for future earthquakes.
Because of the recent local swarm of earthquakes, the County of Riverside’s Emergency Management Department (EMD) is encouraging all residents to "drop, cover and hold on" -- practicing what to do in the event of an earthquake.
They say it’s also important to make sure you have an emergency earthquake kit stocked with water, non-perishable food items, batteries, medication and supplies just in case.
“This is the largest earthquake preparedness drill in the world. It’s such an important opportunity for us to come together and spend just a few minutes thinking about how to prepare for the next time the ground starts to shake,” said Glenn Pomeroy, CEO, California Earthquake Authority.
Pomeroy says this year, they’re also encouraging people to download the MyShake app. The app will be tested as part of the Great California Shakeout. Users who have downloaded the MyShake app will receive a test warning at 10:15 a.m.
They say when you receive the alert on your phone -- practice “drop, covering and holding on” or take other protective actions, as you would during an earthquake.
Officials are also encouraging parents to take some time on Thursday to talk about earthquake preparedness with their kids to make sure they know what to do no matter where they are when a quake hits.
