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Climate & Environment

Are You Prepared To Survive A Big Earthquake? The Shakeout Returns To Remind Us It Is Coming

A graphic shows the process for bracing for an earthquake for both able-bodied and disabled people. Top row shows a person on all fours on the floor and reads: Drop! Cover! Hold On! Bottom row shows a person in a wheelchair and reads: Lock! Cover! Hold On!
(
Courtesy Earthquake Country Alliance
)

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What if a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas fault struck? Would you know what to do?

At 10:21 today, an estimated 7.5 million people are responding to a simulated Big One by dropping, covering, and holding on – the moves you should be practicing if the ground starts shaking. It’s a drill called The Great California Shakeout, and its intention is to help make responding to a quake second nature.

Animated gif shows pink waves radiating from a fault in the desert
Seismic waves radiate from a long crack in the earth.
(
Dan Carino for LAist
)

Beyond that though, what can you do to prepare? We’ve got some resources for you.

We explored that question in our podcast The Big One: Your Survival Guide, and over in our uber guide on LAist. Check out those links below.

Earthquake prep resources

We don't want to scare you, but the Big One is coming. We don't know when, but we know it'll be at least 44 times stronger than Northridge and 11 times stronger than the Ridgecrest quakes in 2019. To help you get prepared, we've compiled a handy reading list

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