MENDOCINO CO., 10/16/24 — Tomorrow nearly 10,000 Mendocino County residents will be ducking and covering, along with hundreds of thousands of others worldwide. Schools, businesses, tribes and government agencies are participating in the largest ever earthquake drill, the Great ShakeOut, held every year on the third Thursday of October.
The Great ShakeOut, created by the Earthquake Country Alliance in 2008, urges groups to practice earthquake drills to prepare for when a real tremor hits your community.
The ShakeOut campaign first began in California but is now practiced in many other states and countries. Sponsors include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States Geological Survey and the National Science Foundation.
As of Oct. 15, 9,068 participants in Mendocino County have registered for this year’s ShakeOut. Those individuals will practice “drop, cover and hold” during the drill. During an earthquake, the Earthquake Country Alliance suggests specific steps to keep yourself safe. First, the alliance recommends finding a sturdy desk or table to climb under, covering your head and neck area with one arm as you hold onto the desk or table with your other hand. If no shelter is nearby, the alliance suggests that you huddle next to an interior wall away from windows.
California has some of the world’s most damaging earthquakes, according to research by the United States Geological Survey. 10 years ago in Napa, a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit the region, the largest quake in the Bay Area since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The Napa quake caused one death and 200 injuries.
Due to the extremity of California quakes, local jurisdictions recommend residents take part in the Great Shakeout to learn how to protect themselves during an earthquake.
Tracy Boyl, Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Ukiah, said that even though wildfires are more common in the region, earthquake preparedness is just as important in keeping people safe.
“It’s really important to know what to do in wildfires, but sometimes we may forget to prepare for an earthquake,” Boyl said. “We have some major faults in this area, and we have a lot of old buildings. We need to be prepared for all sorts of hazards in California.”
Boyl said that City of Ukiah staff will participate in the Shakeout at the Ukiah Civic Center on Thursday. Boyl stated that when residents prepare emergency plans it can make the community much stronger.
“It’s really empowering,” she said. “This adds to our resilience in knowing what to do.”
To register yourself or your organization in this Thursday’s ShakeOut or to receive information on earthquake safety protocols, click here. If you’d like to ask general questions about the ShakeOut campaign, submit questions at this link.