The Great ShakeOut Earthquake Preparedness Day

Thursday, October 15 is 2020’s Great ShakeOut Day. At 10:15am local time on 10/15, individuals, companies, schools and communities will take one minute to practice what to do when an earthquake strikes. Practice makes perfect -- safety drills like the Great ShakeOut remind everyone of the importance of knowing what to do during an earthquake.

The ShakeOut started in California, a state with 40 million people, many of whom live in active earthquake fault zones. California’s emergency management community uses the ShakeOut to educate people to properly prepare for, behave during, and survive after a big quake.

Some areas of the US such as California, Alaska, Washington and Oregon are very earthquake active, and their ShakeOut events are extremely well-followed. Other places, most notably the central US states, are also taking part. One of America’s most active and dangerous fault areas, the New Madrid Fault Zone, has produced quakes more powerful than California’s. Memphis, Tennessee and St. Louis, Missouri could suffer very significant damage if the New Madrid Fault slips as violently as it did in the early 1800s.

If you live in an earthquake zone, one of the best things you can have in your emergency kit is a Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather Radio. With AM/FM/Weather Radio, a super-bright CREE LED flashlight and the ability to recharge your smart phone, the ER310 represents five of the items you need for earthquake preparedness. It also features a hypersonic dog whistle, designed to alert rescue dogs to your precise location, even under rubble.

Learn how to be prepared for earthquakes and how to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” to minimize injuries when the ground beneath you starts shaking. Visit www.shakeout.org for more information.