The Great California ShakeOut is an annual earthquake preparedness practice drill. Since we live in California, which is one of the two states that has the most and strongest earthquakes, it makes sense to establish an earthquake plan before “the big one” hits. Being prepared can reduce the fear, anxiety, and losses that accompany resulting disasters.

During

Do you know what to do during a severe earthquake? Does your family? By knowing the “do’s” and “do not’s” you can ensure that you use your precious seconds wisely to protect yourself from harm.

Right After

So the shaking has stopped. Where is your designated meet-up place? Who is your out-of-state contact? What if there is an aftershock? By having a plan ahead of an earthquake, you’ll be able to mitigate panic and focus on the important things.

After That

Did you know that essential service lines such as power, water, cell service, and sewer might be broken or interrupted in the case of a severe earthquake? What will you do for 24 hours while you wait for service to continue? 36 hours? What if someone is injured and help isn’t readily available? Having emergency supplies and first-aids kits in easy-to-access places will be really helpful to you in these situations. By being able to support yourself for even a day will decrease you dependance on others and increase your survival odds.

Science & Technology

Last October Governor Newsom announced the launch of the nation’s first statewide Earthquake Early Warning System, now named Earthquake Warning California. This partnership of institutions and organizations utilize ground-motion sensors to detect earthquakes and estimate their size, location, and impact. When their sensors detect a significant magnitude, the system issues a ShakeAlert® Message, providing a warning before shaking begins.

Warnings on your Phone

In order to receive live earthquake alerts, Download the MyShake app (available in Google Play and Apple App stores). You can also report and track earthquakes while using this phone application.

Planning is one thing – body memory is another. Studies show that disaster panic is real and affects your ability to make good decisions. If you take the Great California ShakeOut drill seriously and commit to actually going through the motions of evacuating and regrouping according to your earthquake plan, you’ll teach your body to respond appropriately to the situation.

This Thursday, October 15th, JCSD will observe this earthquake drill tradition and we urge you to observe it as well. At 10:15AM, pretend that a 4.5 or more magnitude earthquake has hit Los Angeles. Walk through your entire personal earthquake plan. If part of your plan is missing or doesn’t make sense, this is the perfect opportunity to correct it before the occurrence of an actual disaster.

 

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