Major Earthquake Drill Coming Thursday In Maryland

MARYLAND — More than 11 years after Marylanders were rattled by an earthquake in Virginia that was felt by people up and down the East Coast, governments, schools and residents in Maryland will participate in the Great Southeast ShakeOut Earthquake Drill on Thursday.

The Great Southeast Shakeout Earthquake Drill is part of International ShakeOut Day on Oct. 20, at 10:20 a.m. local time, when millions of people worldwide prepare for the possibility of an earthquake.

As of Wednesday, 84,721 people were registered to participate in the 2022 Great SouthEast ShakeOut Drill in Maryland.

Participation in the drill has grown since Maryland and much of the East Coast experienced an earthquake at 1:51 p.m. on Aug. 23, 2011. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the epicenter of the earthquake was near Mineral in Louisa County, Virginia.

With a magnitude of 5.8, the quake was the largest Virginia earthquake recorded by seismometers. More than 80 aftershocks were reported by the USGS, and the area is currently being monitored by geophysicists from several leading science institutions.

The temblor was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Maryland and the strongest quake recorded east of the Rocky Mountains since 1944.

The USGS says the August 2011 earthquake was the most widely-felt earthquake in U.S. history. The quake caused more than $200 million in damage.

Related: Sykesville 2.0 Earthquake Felt In PA, NoVA; Confirmed By USGS

At 10:20 a.m., employees who participate in the drill should immediately protect themselves with the “drop, cover and hold on” method. Get under a desk or table and away from objects or furniture that could fall on you.

Schools in 10 Maryland districts are registered to participate in the 2022 SouthEast ShakeOut in Virginia, with a total of 69,061 participants. Some schools had registered to participate in the drill in districts, including Baltimore City Public Schools, Baltimore County Public Schools, Carroll County Public Schools, Cecil County Public Schools, Frederick County Public Schools, and Montgomery County Public Schools.

Based on available data, the overall earthquake risk to all Maryland jurisdictions, with the exception of Cecil County, is low to medium-low, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Cecil County is ranked as medium primarily driven by population vulnerability, density and geographic extent.

Frederick, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Charles, Calvert, Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Wicomico counties and Baltimore City are ranked medium-low based primarily on population density and population vulnerability.