The annual Great California ShakeOut will take place this Thursday, October 21, 2021 at 10:21am to encourage Californians to be prepared in the event of an earthquake.
The Great California ShakeOut drill is an opportunity for families, friends, and businesses to practice simple, but critical, safety steps that can keep them safe during an earthquake, such as to drop, cover, and hold on.
This year, Cal OES is urging Californians to join in the Great California ShakeOut and download the free MyShake App to receive earthquake warnings. The MyShake App is available for FREE from the Apple App and Google Play stores. To receive earthquake warnings, individuals and family members can download the app and make sure settings are adjusted to receive emergency alerts, including turning location settings to “always on” so that the app technology can connect with nearby ground sensors in the event of shaking.
Earthquake Warning California includes:
• MyShake App: Free smartphone app that provides iPhone and Android users with audio and visual warnings (for earthquakes estimated to be magnitude 4.5 or higher; MMI 3 or greater). Available in the Apple App and Google Play stores;
• Android Earthquake Alerts: Android phones with updated operating systems are automatically subscribed to Android Earthquake Alerts, which uses the same technology as the MyShake App (for earthquakes estimated to be magnitude 4.5 or higher; MMI 3 or greater); and
• Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs): No-cost text messages for emergency situations, including earthquakes (magnitude 5.0 or higher; MMI 4 or greater).
Earthquake Warning California is the country’s first publicly available, statewide warning system designed to give California residents crucial seconds to take cover before they feel shaking. Managed by Cal OES, Earthquake Warning California uses ground motion sensors from across the state to detect earthquakes before humans can feel them and can notify Californians to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” in advance of an earthquake. More details about technology used by Earthquake Warning California for the warning system is available at earthquake.ca.gov/get-alerts.
Earthquake Warning California has new toolkits available in multiple languages and targeted for multiple industries to make it easy to share information with others in the community about this potentially life-saving technology. You can find the latest toolkits, which include newsletter copy, social media posts, and other shareable resources on the Earthquake Warning California “Get Prepared” webpage.
We encourage everyone to Drop, Cover, and Hold On with us on Oct. 21. Over 4.5 million Californians are already registered to practice their earthquake safety plans. You can register to participate in the Great California ShakeOut Drill at https://www.shakeout.org/.
For Californians who live in an area that could be impacted by an earthquake, preparation is vital, as these events can strike suddenly, at any time, with little warning. Residents can visit My Hazards to see if they live or work in an area prone to earthquakes.