FEMA: Stay Safe During Earthquakes, Great ShakeOut Oct. 15

Earthquakes have been much in the news here in the Pacific Northwest lately, which may make FEMA's annual Great ShakeOut on October 15 more popular than ever.

Millions of people worldwide will practice how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On at 10:15 a.m. on October 15* during Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills!

Washingtonians can join them by registering for the 2015 Great Washington ShakeOut. Participating is a great way for families or organizations to be prepared to survive and recover quickly from big earthquakes and is a major activity of America's PrepareAthon!

Earthquakes can occur anywhere, at any time and with little warning. Larger earthquakes can cause death, injury, and extensive property damage. Most injuries occur when people trip or fall running away during the earthquake. Stay safe during an earthquake by following these steps:

• DROP down onto your hands and knees so you aren't knocked down by the earthquake;
• COVER your head and neck with your arms to protect yourself from falling debris. If you are in danger from falling objects, move to a safer place by crawling; and
• HOLD ON to any sturdy covering so you can move with it until the shaking stops.

Earthquakes aren't preventable, but personal injury can be! Learn more about earthquake safety in the How to Prepare for an Earthquake guide and animated video from America's PrepareAthon!

You can also view hashtags #ImproveSafety and #DropCoverHoldOn to see the earthquake preparedness conversations from @ShakeOut during their most recent Twitter chats. These Twitter chats are part of a 7-week series of dialogues promoting Earthquake Country Alliance’s Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety. The final Twitter chat in the series, "Reconnect and Restore," is on August 26. Join @ShakeOut at 11 a.m. PT to participate.