Earthquake To Hit Puget Sound Thursday - Are You Ready?

SEATTLE, WA - A mock earthquake will hit Washington at 10:19 a.m. on Thursday, and you should be ready. The annual Great Washington Shake Out exercise is meant to help people living in earthquake-prone areas prepare for the real thing.

About 1.2 million people in Washington have signed up to participate in the drill, but it's a worldwide affair with nearly 55 million participating across the globe. But it's important to remember, Washington is one of the more seismically active places on Earth.

There's the infamous Cascadia Subduction Zone, which will one day rupture and rock Puget Sound with up to a magnitude 9 quake (and later a tsunami). But there's also local faults to watch out for. The Seattle fault runsfrom Bremerton to Issaquah and is capable of a destructive magnitude 7 quake.

So what can you do during the Great Washington Shake Out? If your workplace or household has not registered to participate, you can still practice what to do in the event of an earthquake. At 10:19 a.m. Thursday, no matter where you are, pretend like there's an earthquake happening.

Here's what to do:

• Drop, cover, and hold on. In the event of an earthquake, you need to find the nearest sturdy area of shelter. It can be under a bed or under a desk or anywhere that feels secure. At 10:19 a.m. Thursday, get under that shelter and hold on. It's important to remember that running outside during an earthquake might feel safe, but you might get injured or worse by falling debris.
• Check your supplies. Do you have two weeks of food and water? That's how long emergency management officials recommend you plan to be without basic needs.
• Take time to check your surroundings. Do you have one of those rickety Ikea bookshelves nearby? How about bowling ball or mirror suspended above your bed? Make sure you secure your possessions to prevent them from being an injury hazard.
• Do you have a communications plan? If you don't, Thursday is the day to make one. In the event of a large earthquake, cell service will probably be unavailable. It's important to establish a rendezvous point for you and your family or friends.

Don't know how to drop, cover, and hold on? Check out this quick video:

Image via Washington Emergency Management Division