Millions Participate in Annual Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill

Millions of residents across Southern California and beyond are preparing to participate in the annual Great ShakeOut earthquake drill, scheduled for 10:17 a.m. on Thursday. The event encourages participants to “drop, cover, and hold on,” a protocol advised by federal, state, and local emergency management experts as the most effective way to prevent injury during an earthquake.

According to earthquake preparedness authorities, over 10.4 million Californians have signed up to join the drill, while the global count of participants has reached 44.9 million. The Great ShakeOut event is seen as crucial for practicing responses to earthquake scenarios, which remain a significant risk in areas like Southern California, where seismologists report over 10,000 earthquakes each year, as per the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist, highlighted the importance of these drills, noting the varied seismic sequences experienced in Southern California. “While earthquakes are a constant,