Citizens across the Olympic Peninsula are encouraged to participate in the 16th Great ShakeOut earthquake drill, set for 10:17 a.m. Thursday.
Held annually on the third Thursday of October — and following FEMA’s National Preparedness Month in September — the International ShakeOut Day encourages individuals to take part in a self-led drill to practice how to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” in the event of an earthquake.
Endorsed by emergency officials and first responders, the safe response to an earthquake is to:
• Drop where you are, onto your hands and knees; this position protects you from being knocked down and allows you to stay low and crawl to shelter if nearby
• Cover your head and neck with one arm and hand. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter, and if no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows). Stay on your knees; bend over to protect vital organs
• Hold on until shaking stops. If under a shelter, hold on to it with one hand and be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts. If not, hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands.
In conjunction with the drill, All Hazard Alert Broadcast sirens in both Clallam and Jefferson counties will be tested at 10:17 a.m., using the actual siren wail sound, event planners said.
Both counties also will test their text alert systems during the drill.
Clallam County residents can sign up for the county’s alert system by visiting www.clallamcountywa.gov/226/Emergency-Management and scrolling to the bottom of the page to click on “Sign Up to the Clallam County Alert System.”
Jefferson County residents can sign up for the Nixle text alert system at https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1066/Alerts-Warnings.
“Planning for and practicing what you would do during an earthquake and tsunami could mean the difference between life and death,” Clallam County Emergency Management staffers said. “[The] ShakeOut is the perfect day to practice your plan.”
Individuals and organizations are asked to join the ShakeOut drill by registering at www.shakeout.org. Once registered, participants receive regular information on how to plan their drill and become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.
More than 35 million people around the globe are expected to participate, and in addition to safety drills, many participants take extra steps to become more prepared for earthquakes or other disasters.
The Great ShakeOut is coordinated by Clallam County, Jefferson County, Washington state, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners. ShakeOut is coordinated globally by the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California.
