Statewide Earthquake Drill Set for Today

RIVERSIDE (CNS) - People in government offices, businesses and schools
throughout Riverside County will stop everything today for one minute to
``drop, cover and hold on'' during a statewide earthquake preparedness drill,
now in its 18th year.
  

The Great California ShakeOut of 2026 is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Thursday.
  

``Earthquakes may happen anywhere you work, live or travel,''
according to a statement posted to ShakeOut.org. ``Great ShakeOut earthquake
drills are our chance to practice together how to protect ourselves, and for
everyone to become prepared. The goal is to save lives and prevent disasters
from becoming catastrophes.''
  

The ShakeOut website indicated that as of Wednesday, 10.7 million
Californians were slated to participate in the drill. During last year's event,
about 10.4 million statewide registered to take part.
  

The exercises began in 2008.
  

In Riverside County, 606,777 people have registered for the drill.
Last year's total was 602,412.
  

Municipalities whose local government employees will be involved
include Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Eastvale, Indio, La
Quinta, Murrieta, Norco, Palm Desert, Perris and Riverside.
  

Multiple Riverside County agencies are also signed up, among which are
the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder's Office, Department of Public Social Services,
Emergency Management Department, Fire Department and Riverside University
Health System.
  

College of the Desert, Norco College, Riverside City College and UC
Riverside will also join the drill. Most kindergarten through 12th grade school
districts countywide, along with private and charter schools, will have
students and staff participating.
  

According to ShakeOut.org, the objective is to emphasize precautions
during a 7.8-magnitude or larger quake along the southernmost portion of the
San Andreas fault.
  

Officials believe that such a tectonic shift could produce waves of
movement for hundreds of miles, over four minutes. According to the U.S.
Geological Survey, some 2,000 people would die, tens of thousands would be
injured and more than $200 billion in damage would result. The cataclysm would
have 50 times the intensity of the Jan. 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake.
  

Hundreds of aftershocks would ensue -- a few of them nearly as big as
the original quake, according to USGS.
  

This year's exercise follows multiple damaging quakes recorded in
Central and South America. The first and worst of the series in 2026 occurred
in late June near Caracas, Venezuela. The known death toll from the 7.5-
magnitude catastrophe is at 6,500, with tens of thousands still homeless.
  

A 7.4-magnitude shaker struck western Colombia on Aug. 10, killing
over 300 people and leveling parts of Manizales and surrounding communities.
Late last week, a 7.7-magnitude quake centered near the western coast of Panama
occurred, causing extensive damage throughout the country's central provinces.
Aftershocks registering near the same strength have since followed.
  

The California drill in 2019 came just over three months after the
early July quakes that struck Ridgecrest. The 6.4- and 7.1-magnitude shakers
caused significant damage to roads and structures in the hamlet, which lies
just south of the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station.
  

Californians should be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours
following a major disaster. That includes having a first-aid kit, medications,
food and enough water for each member of a household to drink one gallon per
day, according to local and state officials.
  

Homeowners and renters should also know how to turn off the gas in
their residences in case of leaks.