Earthquake drill comes on 35th anniversary of Loma Prieta earthquake – The Mercury News

When about 10.4 million Californians “land, take cover and hold on” Thursday morning, the ground may not shake. But the drills will help ensure participants are prepared for the next major earthquake the state faces.

Coinciding with the 35th anniversary of the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, which killed 63 people, injured 3,757 others and caused billions of dollars in damage across the region, this year's Great California ShakeOut urges Californians to practice what they would do in the event of an earthquake. Another dangerous earthquake – a disaster that experts say is inevitable and perhaps long overdue.

In 1989, a 6.9 magnitude earthquake caused the collapse of the Cypress Expressway in Oakland and the partial collapse of the eastern span of the Bay Bridge, leaving 16,000 homes uninhabitable.

RELATED: Pulitzer Prize-winning photos from the Oakland Tribune of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake

Officials said on Wednesday that more than 10 million state residents have already registered to participate in the exercises. MyShake app users will get a workout alert at 10:17 a.m. Thursday morning.

“We've seen bridge collapses, major hits to infrastructure, injuries and, unfortunately, loss of life,” said Derek Lambeth, earthquake early warning program manager at the Governor's Office of Emergency Services. “With a major earthquake always a possibility, people should take solace that we have technology here that can help and alert us, and we are building better as a country overall since those times.”

Thirty-five years later, California is better prepared for earthquakes, with new buildings built with shaky ground in mind and older buildings retrofitted to be earthquake-safe, but it's still important to practice safe earthquake response, experts say. He said.

“There are a lot of different reactions. People may be prone to panic,” said Ben Deci, chief public information officer for the California Seismological Service. “ShakeOut is an opportunity for everyone to practice beforehand, dig and drill the right way.”

Some old advice, like standing in doorways, is outdated and less safe than falling and covering up.

“We expect most buildings to withstand a major earthquake, but it is unpredictable,” Lambeth said. “As things have improved in terms of how we build and adapt to earthquakes, the doorways are now actually the weakest parts.”

People should also avoid going outside during an earthquake.

“It's not the shaking of the ground that hurts people, it's the man-made structures,” Deci said. “You're making yourself more vulnerable. If you run outside, things like masonry and chimneys can fall, and there can be flying debris.”

“We're really trying to not only make sure that people know the right thing to do, (but also) make sure that people understand that they may have been taught the wrong thing to do, and that they need to reprogram themselves to take the right steps,” Deci added.

Through the free MyShake app, which is part of California's Earthquake Early Warning System, residents can receive warnings about earthquakes before tremors start — sometimes up to tens of seconds before, allowing them to prepare before powerful shocks arrive.

The state is also working on pilot projects in early warnings that do more than just notify, such as opening bay doors to fire stations or alerting doctors in sensitive surgeries before the ground starts shaking, Lambeth said.

Although it is not yet possible to predict when the next earthquake will strike more than a few seconds in advance, Californians can prepare themselves and their homes in the event of a tremor.

“We have reached a point where earthquakes are unpredictable,” Lambeth said. “The need to train and prepare is because we don't know when the next big event will come, but there are some actions we can take to better prepare ourselves.”

Experts said homes should be equipped with an emergency kit stocked with essential items. FEMA recommends including items such as three gallons of water per person, a three-day supply of food, prescription medications, cash, important documents and more.

Experts said it is also important to secure large-sized furniture to the wall so that it does not fall during the earthquake. Deci cautioned against placing large mirrors or framed pictures above the bed; These items can fall and cause injury if an earthquake occurs while people are sleeping.

The California Earthquake Commission advises California homeowners to obtain earthquake insurance to cover any damage caused by earthquakes – although the state of the state's insurance market means such insurance is still financially out of reach for many.

“You don't really know when another massively damaging earthquake will happen, but we know it will happen,” Deci said. “California is earthquake country.”

“That's why we do these exercises, as an opportunity to remind people [that] “We live in earthquake country,” Desi added. “It's the reality of living in this great state, and we have to be prepared, and we have to be aware of the fact that eventually there will be another great state.”

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