Bay Area Cities Participate in Earthquake Drills During 'Shakeout' Events

More than 10 million Californians participated in what event organizers said was the largest earthquake drill ever this morning.

The annual “Great California ShakeOut” event was held at 10:15 a.m., as people throughout the state participated in simultaneous earthquake drills, practicing safety and learning ways to prepare in the event of a
major earthquake.

The event is part of a larger “International ShakeOut Day of Action,” according to one of the event’s organizers, the Southern California Earthquake Center.

As the 26th anniversary of the 1989 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake approaches on Saturday, many Bay Area cities and city officials held events to remind residents about earthquake preparedness.

In San Francisco, Mayor Ed Lee, along with police Chief Greg Suhr, Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-White and school district Superintendent Richard Carranza, joined students at Yick Wo Elementary School to participate in earthquake drills with the students, according to city officials.

In Oakland, city officials there hosted a free fair in front of City Hall at Frank Ogawa Plaza. The event featured a flash mob demonstration on how to reduce injury and death during an earthquake, as well as “The BigShaker,” the world’s biggest earthquake simulator.

In Menlo Park, more than 600 U.S. Geological Survey employees planned to participate in the 10:15 a.m. earthquake drill. Afterward, the employees planned to conduct a full-scale evacuation of 10 of the Menlo Park
campus’ buildings, according to USGS officials.

Hundreds of elementary school students arrived at The Tech Museum of Innovation this morning in San Jose to learn about earthquake safety, participate in an earthquake drill and experience The Tech’s earthquake simulator, museum officials said.

BART passengers also took part in the 10:15 a.m. drill, as BART engineers triggered an earthquake alarm that automatically slowed trains to 27 mph Additionally, the operations control center made public announcements to trains and stations, letting passengers know of the drill, according to BART officials.

“Most earthquakes strike without warning,” Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement, citing the Loma Prieta earthquake and the 1994 6.7-magnitude Northridge earthquake in Southern California, which combined to cause more than 100 deaths, 12,000 injuries and $45 billion in property losses.

“Becoming better prepared for future earthquakes and other emergencies is something everyone can do now to protect themselves, their loved ones, neighbors and coworkers,” Brown said.

The Southern California Earthquake Center held the first ShakeOut Event in Southern California in 2008. The event has since grown to include more regions and states, as well as countries throughout the world.

--Bay City News Service, photo courtesy of the USGS