Shake, shake, shake … participate

UC Irvine is part of the largest earthquake preparedness drill in U.S. history – the Great Southern California ShakeOut – which takes place throughout the southland Thursday, Nov. 13. The ShakeOut drill will start with a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas fault, one approximately 5,000 times larger than the magnitude 5.4 temblor that shook us on July 29, and follow up with other activities to help individuals and institutions prepare for the inevitable “big one.”

UCI faculty, staff and students can participate in the ShakeOut drill starting at 10 a.m., with drop, cover and hold on maneuvers in the classroom, office or at home. Other planned events highlight the need for individual and community preparedness.

Great ShakeOut organizers encourage people to learn more about this unprecedented activity and register on their Web site. Already some 4.6 million people registered to take part in their homes, schools, businesses, government offices and public places. UCI public health professor and earthquake expert Lisa Grant Ludwig helped develop the scenario.

For more information about earthquake preparedness at UCI and in Southern California:

• Earthquake Country – a comprehensive site for Southern California preparedness
• UCI emergency planning
• What to do during an earthquake I (PDF) and II
• Tipsheet of UCI earthquake and disaster response experts