With a small earthquake near Seattle still top of mind, it’s a good time to remind people that the Great Washington ShakeOut earthquake preparedness drill is coming up next week.
The ShakeOut on Oct. 19, at 10:19 a.m., is a chance for people to practice the drop, cover and hold maneuver wherever they are — at work, home, school, walking in a park or at a shopping mall. At about the same time, more than 120 Washington tsunami sirens along the inner and outer coast will be tested using the real wailing sound of a tsunami warning.
Organized in part by the Washington Emergency Management Division, the ShakeOut will also feature a test of the free MyShake Earthquake Early Warning app, for those who have downloaded it to their smartphones.
The test alert will sound the tone it will use to warn of an earthquake and will display a message indicating that it is a test. The MyShake App is powered by the USGS ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning system and can provide a few seconds of warning before an actual earthquake hits. There will not be a test using Android’s built-in earthquake alerts or the Wireless Emergency Alert system.
ShakeAlert was reportedly not activated during Sunday’s 4.3 magnitude earthquake 35 miles northwest of Seattle because the quake was below magnitude 4.5. ShakeAlert debuted in Washington state two years ago; it’s available in other West Coast areas.
According to ShakeOut organizers, more than 1.2 million Washington residents have registered to participate in the earthquake and tsunami drill so far. Registration isn’t required but it helps agencies understand how effective outreach is.
This Thursday, a week before the drill, the Washington Emergency Management Division will team with scientists and other preparedness experts for an Ask Me Anything event on Reddit at 11 a.m.
