Nearly a million San Diego County residents will participate Thursday in this year's Great California ShakeOut, the statewide earthquake preparedness drill, now in its 17th year.
A total of 980,458 participants are registered in San Diego to stop everything for a minute to "drop, cover and hold on" at 10:16 a.m. Statewide, more than 10.3 million Californians are registered.
During last year's event, about 10.6 million statewide registered to take part. The exercises began in 2008.
"What we do to prepare now, before the next big earthquake, will determine how well we can survive and recover," according to a statement posted to ShakeOut.org. "Great ShakeOut earthquake drills are a once-a-year chance for everyone to practice `drop, cover, and hold on' and learn other earthquake safety tips."
From 6 a.m. to noon, the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services will bring a "shake trailer" to Waterfront Park, allowing the public to experience a simulated earthquake of up to 7.0 magnitude. The public will also be able to get information about earthquake early warning technology, preparedness tips and recommended life-saving actions.
Municipalities whose employees will be involved in the annual event include Imperial Beach, National City, Oceanside, Santee, Solana Beach and the San Diego Parks and Recreation Department. The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services will also take park, and the San Diego Public Library.
Virtually all local elementary and high school districts are also expected to take part, along with California State University and San Diego Community College District campuses, UC San Diego and the University of San Diego.
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.
Officials believe such a tectonic shift could produce waves of movement for hundreds of miles, over four minutes. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, some 2,000 people would die, tens of thousands would be injured and more than $200 billion in damage would result. The cataclysm would have 50 times the intensity of the Jan. 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake.
Hundreds of aftershocks would ensue — a few of them nearly as big as the original quake, according to the USGS.
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.
