Great Southern California ShakeOut
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The Great Southern California ShakeOut featured the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history in 2008 and involved 5.3 million participants.[1][2] This drill took place in homes, businesses, schools, places of worship and communities across California.
The Earthquake Country Alliance organized the Great Southern California ShakeOut in 2008. The November 2008 drill also featured week-long events to connect Southern California communities with preparedness resources and provide residents of Southern California with the information and knowledge to prepare, respond and recover in the event of a disaster.
Purpose
The purpose of this safety drill was to raise awareness about earthquake preparedness in Southern California, as well as to teach residents how they can prepare for a major earthquake.[1] This includes, but is not limited to, tips for securing one's home and office, items to have on-site in case of an earthquake, how much food and water to store, and what to do during the shaking itself (duck cover and hold on).[3]
Scenario
The Great Southern California ShakeOut is based on a scenario completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the California Geological Survey (CGS) using a hypothetical scenario to describe how a magnitude 7.8 Southern California earthquake on the San Andreas fault would impact the Southern California region, causing loss of lives and massive damage to infrastructure, including critical transportation, power, and water systems.
In the Scenario, the earthquake would kill 1,800 people, injure 50,000, cause $200 billion in damage, and have long-lasting social and economic consequences. At least 10 million people will be exposed to heavy shaking. Over 600,000 buildings will suffer at least some damage that will cause ten of thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths, and will leave many thousands of people without homes or jobs. At least 1,600 fires will be started. 50,000 people will seek treatment at emergency rooms.
The largest long-term economic disruption comes from damage to the water distribution system. Damage to the water system will be so extensive that some areas will have to replace the whole system, and some buildings will be without water for as long as 6 months. The direct and indirect business interruption costs attributed to the lack of water will be $50 billion.
A copy of the full technical report, The ShakeOut Scenario, is available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2008/1150.
A non-technical summary narrative of the Scenario is online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1324/. Paper copies of the narrative are available by request.
High resolution images, and a computer animation showing the earthquake rupture and its waves of energy spreading across Southern California are online at http://urbanearth.usgs.gov/shakeout.
Preparedness
There are a number of things that one can do to prepare for an earthquake. Suggestions include:
- Retrofitting homes and buildings to be earthquake safe
- Storing water; at least one gallon per person per day for at least 3 days and up to 2 weeks.
- Storing non-perishable food.
- Having working ABC-rated fire extinguishers for the kitchen, garage, and car.
- Having a first aid kit and first aid instructions.
- Family and business communication plans in the event of an earthquake.
- If needing to evacuate, having a list of the top ten or more items to pack.
- Having disaster supply kits ready.[3]
References
- ^ a b ShakeOut website
- ^ "Massive earthquake drill planned in California". Xinhua News Agency. June 4 2008. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Dare to Prepare website