LOC News

The Great Oregon ShakeOut - Practice Like it’s the Real Thing!

The League of Oregon Cities is partnering with ShakeAlert®, the United States Earthquake Early Warning System, to inform members on earthquake risk in Oregon and what they can do to mitigate damage from earthquake shaking. This month we will continue sharing by talking about The Great Oregon ShakeOut drill.

The Great ShakeOut is an annual opportunity for people in homes, schools, and organizations to practice what to do during an earthquake, and to improve their earthquake preparedness. Since its inauguration in 2008, every year on the third Thursday of October people around the world “ShakeOut” and practice protective actions that work best for them, like “Drop, Cover, and Hold On”.

Where will you be for your drill? Together, or some at work, school or home? Consider video-conferencing!

With the uncertainty brought by Covid-19 this year, you are encouraged to ShakeOut when and where you want, whether that's at home, work, school, or perhaps through a video conference with people working or taking classes from home.

How do I ShakeOut?

Use the ShakeOut as an opportunity to learn what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Take a moment to think about what you would do in your current situation- at home, at work, in the car, at the beach, etc.- if an earthquake occurred.
When ready, DROP to the ground and pretend that earthquake shaking just started. Use your arm to COVER your head and neck. If there is a table or desk nearby, take cover under it and HOLD ON to the leg so that you move with it. If you cannot drop to the ground or you are not near a sturdy object for cover, you can practice other protective actions that work best for you and your situation.

During the drill, look around and see what objects could fall during a potential earthquake.
After the drill, if you live on the coast, practice walking your tsunami evacuation route after you drop, cover, and hold on.
After the drill, make plans to mitigate potential damage from an earthquake, like securing the furniture, appliances, and artwork you identified as potential falling objects, talk with your family and neighbors about making a disaster plan, and/or build an earthquake preparedness kit.

Your ShakeOut activity may look different this year because of Covid-19 precautions, but reality is that an earthquake can occur at any time, even during a pandemic.

In the near future, ShakeOut drills will likely look a little different for those living on the West Coast. Soon, ShakeAlert® will be available to deliver alerts to the Oregon public. ShakeAlert® is an earthquake early warning system that detects significant earthquakes quickly enough to alert people and automated systems seconds before shaking arrives. So instead of practicing your protective action as if shaking has already started, an earthquake early warning message can prompt your drill, allowing you to take a protective action like Drop, Cover, and Hold On before shaking begins.

For more helpful ShakeOut resources, you can visit: https://www.shakeout.org/oregon/resources/

For helpful PNW preparedness resources, visit: https://mil.wa.gov/shakeout and https://www.oregon.gov/OEM/hazardsprep/Pages/default.aspx

Article adapted from https://www.shakeout.org/