Preparing for the next big earthquake: “Drop, cover, and hold on” during Thursday's major California shakedown

LOS ANGELES (CNS) – People in government offices, businesses and schools across Southern California will stop everything for a minute Thursday to “Surrender, Cover and Hold On” during a statewide earthquake preparedness drill, now in its 16th year.

The 2024 Great California ShakeOut is scheduled for 10:17 a.m

“What we do to prepare now, before the next big earthquake, will determine how well we can survive and recover,” according to a statement posted on ShakeOut.org. “The Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill is a once-a-year opportunity for everyone to practice landing, covering, stabilizing, and learning other earthquake safety tips.”

While many think about impacts to homes, businesses or physical injuries, a major earthquake could also be devastating to SoCal's water supply.

As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 10.5 million Californians were scheduled to participate in the workouts, including 3.4 million in Los Angeles County and 954,000 in Orange County, ShakeOut noted. During last year's event, about 10.2 million people statewide registered to participate.

Training began in 2008.

Municipalities in which local government employees will participate include El Segundo, Arcadia, Calabasas, Lakewood, Lancaster, Hawthorne, Glendora, Costa Mesa, Lake Forest, Buena Park, Torrance, Paramount, Santa Clarita, Seal Beach, San Clemente, Brea, and Garden Grove. Newport Beach, West Hollywood and Monrovia. Several Los Angeles City and County departments and Orange County agencies have also signed up to participate.

Nearly all elementary and secondary school districts are also expected to participate, along with California State University, Los Angeles Community College campuses, UCLA and the University of Southern California.

The Metrolink commuter rail system will also participate in the drill, with all trains slowing down at 10:17 a.m. in response to a simulated earthquake. The Orange County Police Department will also use the drill to test its emergency mass notification system, AlertOC, at 10:17 a.m., sending a test emergency message to mobile devices and home phones.

According to ShakeOut.org, the goal is to emphasize precautions during an earthquake of magnitude 7.8 or larger along the southern portion of the San Andreas Fault.

Officials believe such a tectonic shift could produce waves of motion for hundreds of miles, over a period of four minutes. According to the US Geological Survey, about 2,000 people will die, tens of thousands will be injured, and losses worth more than $200 billion will result. The disaster would be 50 times stronger than the Northridge earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994.

When the next earthquake hits, you want to make sure you have the essential items to help you and your family survive. There are some basics you should keep in your emergency kit.

Hundreds of aftershocks will follow, some nearly as powerful as the original quake, according to the USGS.

The 2019 drill came just over three months after the July earthquakes struck Ridgecrest. Earthquakes measuring 6.4 and 7.1 magnitude caused severe damage to roads and structures in the small village, located south of the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station.

Californians must be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours after a major disaster. This includes obtaining a first aid kit, medications, food and enough water for each family member to drink one gallon per day, according to local and state officials.

Homeowners and renters should also know how to turn off the gas in their residences in the event of a leak.

Copyright © 2024 by City News Service, Inc. All rights reserved.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos