For the third year in a row, California will hold a statewide earthquake drill. An estimated 7.7 million people are taking part, and organizers behind the Great California ShakeOut are hoping for more (yes, you can still register, or just do it on your own without registering). Their message may be lifesaying, yet simple -- "drop, cover and hold on" -- but it's something that isn't necessarily engrained in the minds of Californians (natives and newcomers alike) such as "stop, drop and roll." more ›

Today is the state's largest-ever earthquake drill ever. Some 6.8 million people are signed up to participate in the simple, but important process of dropping, covering and holding on. You don't need really don't need to sign up, but listening to this video from the Great California Shakeout may help when a large quake starts shaking--hopefully in your sudden freakout, you remember these tips. more ›

California Shakeout organizers are doing something quite genius to further their message this Thursday, when a major mock earthquake will strike California. They've asked radio and TV stations to participate by broadcasting an emergency message at 10:15 a.m. about the statewide drill and what people should do if it were a real earthquake (see the TV version above). 6.4 million people are signed up for the coordinated event. more ›

"I've decided that the massive earthquake thing is a story we tell [to] stop people from moving here and driving up real estate prices," PixieMegh from Anheim wrote on Twitter. But what about potential tourists? Only show this video to them after they arrive (smile). more ›

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A follow up from yesterday's amazing and scary video. Sign up to participate (or just do it anyway) at the Great Southern California ShakeOut website. more ›

Finally. With tomorrow's massive earthquake drill planned for 10:00 a.m. (are you taking part in the Great Southern California ShakeOut?), the federal government along with tons of scientists and local agencies have put out this death-defying dramatic video on YouTube that will hopefully scare the bejesus out of Los Angeles area residents to actually prepare themselves. This is one of those scare tactics we'll gladly accept from big bro. Get thyself prepared. more ›

A little 3.3 shocker hit the IE at 1:42 a.m. this morning. No big deal, but each microquake should be a reminder for us regarding emergency preparedness. Do you know what to do if the big one strikes? A good resource is the website for upcoming The Great Southern California ShakeOut in November. more ›

On Tuesday, a few hours after the earthquake, the Los Angeles Fire Department put up a link on the "Highlights" section on the homepage of the city's website, pointing to their Earthquake and Disaster Preparedness Manual (.pdf)--a smart move since right after an earthquake is the best time to educate people on preparing for a future and considerably worse one (Tuesday's quake was only considered "moderate"). more ›

No less than 15 lower-than-2.0-magnitude quakes shook throughout the Los Angeles area over the weekend. If your cat did one of those random hop and a skips with a shriek, that was probably it. And it's nothing to worry about. What is to have concern over is not being prepared for a large scale earthquake. One of the best ways to keep up on the issue is staying in tune with the The Great Southern California ShakeOut which will host the world's largest earthquake drill in November. And they've made it easier. In addition to their blog, they've got even more social media friendly with a MySpace and Facebook page. more ›

At 7:14 a.m., a 4.0 magnitude earthquake shook near Loma Linda, CA, about 58 miles east of Downtown Los Angeles. "Viewers called in to say they felt the shaker, but there were no reports of damage or injuries," according to KNBC. Shortly before at 6:49 and 7:05 a.m., two 2.6 microquakes rattled the same area. On Friday, the Great Southern California ShakeOut, which will include the largest earthquake drill ever in November, launched a blog. It's not a matter if there will be a massive earthquake, but when it will strike. more ›

The Great Southern California ShakeOut was officially announced today where millions of Southern Californians will “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” (register at www.ShakeOut.org) as thousands of emergency responders statewide take part in the largest-ever earthquake response drill called "Golden Guardian." The hypothetical magnitude 7.8 earthquake will rupture the San Andreas Fault at 10 a.m. on November 13. more ›