One Gate

Earthquake Preparedness: The Great Southern California ShakeOut

California has a reputation for earthquakes. Most residents have experienced at least one and many visitors fear them, especially “The Big One.” For the past few years, rumors have run rampant that the “big one” was imminent; now a report confirms it’s likely a large earthquake will occur at some point in the future and several organizations have come together to get the word out to the public about the importance of earthquake awareness and preparedness.

A 2006 University of California, San Diego report concluded that the southern end of the San Andreas fault, which runs the length of California, is probably due for a large jolt upwards of a 7.0 on the Richter scale sometime in the near future; the report suggests that such an earthquake would likely greatly affect Palm Springs and the cities in the San Bernadino, Riverside, and Imperial counties, but would also affect the greater metropolitan areas of Los Angeles and San Diego.

With this in mind, a number of nonprofit, business, government and education organizations have come together as the Earthquake Country Alliance and created The Great Southern California ShakeOut, a week-long earthquake-preparedness event, including an earthquake drill.

The ShakeOut drill will occur across Southern California at 10 AM on Thursday, November 13, 2008. Remember those “duck and cover” earthquake drills in school? This will be just like that, except on a larger scale. Other activities during the week include the International Earthquake Conference November 12-14 and a Get Ready Rally on November 14.

The Great Southern California ShakeOut also places a huge emphasis on emergency preparedness; the website provides a list of supplies to keep on hand in case of an earthquake, including
 ~ 1 gallon of water per person per day for a minimum of three days
 ~ Canned and packaged foods
 ~ Medical consent forms for dependents
 ~ Comfort items, like special blankets, stuffed animals and toys

There are also has recommendations for disaster plans in case an earthquake strikes, including these tips:
 ~ Prepare a wallet card for every member of your family with important phone numbers
 ~ Keep a flashlight and pair of shoes next to your bed in case an earthquake strikes while you're sleeping
 ~ Know where your gas, electricity and water shutoff valves are in your home and how to turn them off
 ~ Pick a safe place for your family members to meet at after the earthquake

You can participate in The Great ShakeOut whether you're part of an organization or an individual/family; register with the website to receive emails and more information.

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