The Great ShakeOut earthquake drill happens this week. Here's what residents need to know

Rene Ray De La Cruz, Victorville Daily Press
·2 min read
Preschoolers take positions under a table during a simulated earthquake drill. The annual Great ShakeOut at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday will help residents to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” during a major earthquake.
Preschoolers take positions under a table during a simulated earthquake drill. The annual Great ShakeOut at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday will help residents to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” during a major earthquake.

Many Southern Californians will prepare for the next big earthquake when they practice how to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” during the annual Great ShakeOut.

Scheduled for 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, the Great ShakeOut is the world’s largest earthquake drill designed to practice what you should do when the ground starts to shake violently in a major earthquake.

“San Bernardino County is earthquake country, and the shaking can start at any moment,” said San Bernardino County officials. “Being prepared offers you and your loved ones the best chance of survival and recovery, which is what the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill is all about.”

The ShakeOut also helps instruct residents on how they can secure a safe space, organize disaster kits and minimize financial hardship.

The ShakeOut website reveals that 9.3 million Californians are registered to participate in the drill. During last year’s event, about 7.6 million statewide registered to take part.

According to ShakeOut.org, the objective is to emphasize precautions during a 7.8-magnitude or larger quake along the southernmost portion of the San Andreas fault.

The nearly 750-mile fault begins near the Salton Sea, runs northward and ends near Cape Mendocino, south of Eureka.

The fault is where the North American and the Pacific tectonic plates meet to tear at each other, causing the land to slip approximately one inch every year.

Locally, the fault runs near Wrightwood, cuts through the Cajon Pass, and is just north of California State University, San Bernardino.

The nearly 750-mile fault begins near the Salton Sea, runs northward and ends near Cape Mendocino, south of Eureka.
The nearly 750-mile fault begins near the Salton Sea, runs northward and ends near Cape Mendocino, south of Eureka.

More: Experts warn California of a disaster 'larger than any in world history.' It's not an earthquake.

The Mormon Rocks, located along Interstate 15 in the Cajon Pass, are exposed sandstone formations through plate tectonics, and are located along the San Andreas Fault in the San Andreas Rift Zone.

Earthquake experts say that a major tectonic shift could produce waves of movement for hundreds of miles, over four minutes.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, nearly 2,000 people would die, tens of thousands would be injured and more than $200 billion in damage would result.

The ShakeOut drill in 2019 came just over three months after the early July quakes that struck Ridgecrest. The 6.4- and 7.1-magnitude quakes caused significant damage to roads and structures in the hamlet, which lies just south of the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station.

Californians should be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours following a major disaster. That includes having a first-aid kit, medications, food and enough water for each member of a household 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 case of leaks.

For more information or to participate in the ShakeOut, visit shakeout.org.

Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz.

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Great ShakeOut drill prepares southern California residents for major earthquake