USGS encourages California residents to participate in the Great Shakeout
MOUNTAIN VIEW -- Scientists with the United States Geological Survey say the annual Great Shakeout drill serves as an important reminder about the need to be prepared for a major earthquake at all times.
Officials want to remind the public there is no telling when the next big one will happen, and this week provided multiple hints about preparedness. In addition to the 34th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 and the Great Shakeout, there was the small earthquake in the Delta that triggered an early "Shake alert" Wednesday morning and the inadvertent early cell phone notification some California residents received at 3:20 a.m.
Be Prepared
"Earthquakes may occur without warning even in areas of California that don't frequently experience earthquakes," said Belle Philibosian, a research geologist with the USGS Earthquake Science Center at Moffett Field. "Anywhere that you live in California you need to be prepared for an earthquake to happen at anytime."
The earthquake in the Sacramento Delta region on Wednesday was an example of what Philibosian means about the unexpected nature taking place along fault lines around the Bay Area. Not only is there a need to be prepared for one to happen but also a necessity to have the proper infrastructure and technology in place to deal with the aftermath.
"If you have thought in advance about what you would do in the event of an earthquake, particularly in spaces where you spend a lot of time, such as at home, at work, in the car, in bed, you'll be more prepared to take rapid action when an earthquake does occur," she told KPIX. "So the way to be prepared for earthquakes is to build our society and our infrastructure to be resilient."
An Annual Drill
The Great Shakeout offers that opportunity to help build a routine and become better at responding quickly once the earth starts shaking quickly. It took place Thursday at 10:19 a.m. The state's Office of Emergency Services and USGS want to make sure as many people have access to the MyShake app to help with drills and notifications of actual earthquakes.
"No matter where you live in the Bay Area, you are not far from a fault line," Philibosian said.