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The Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill is here!
- On October 15 at 10:15 a.m., millions in California and around the world will participate in the planet’s largest natural catastrophe drill
- California experts are available for interviews on earthquake safety and retrofit grants
- B-roll is available showing how to make a home more earthquake-resistant, and demonstrating DROP, COVER, & HOLD ON
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What: |
California Earthquake Authority (CEA) staff are joining with millions of other safety-prepared people participating in this year’s Great California ShakeOut. CEA will have experts available to talk about how to best protect yourself from a damaging earthquake. Find a detailed schedule of availabilities below. ShakeOut day is October 15 at 10:15 a.m. The one-minute-long annual drill is always held on the third Thursday of October. It is a reminder that California is earthquake country and that we all need to be prepared for the next seismic event. From ShakeOut’s beginning in 2008, CEA has been a proud partner in bringing this earthquake preparation drill to Californians. According to ShakeOut.org, right around 10 million people across the state are expected to participate. The Great California ShakeOut is one important safety step Californians can take before a catastrophic earthquake, but there are others. Renters and homeowners should consider the advantages of having earthquake insurance in a seismically active state like California. And through the added strength achieved by a seismic retrofit, CEA believes that many Californians could live in better protected older homes and apartments. Millions of residents, many in underserved neighborhoods, live in older buildings that are especially vulnerable to earthquake damage. Grants are available through the California Residential Mitigation Program to help California residents strengthen homes and apartments against destructive seismic activity. And renters may find earthquake insurance to be an especially cost-effective pathway to peace of mind. “It will be a great day to practice the safest moves to make during an earthquake,” said Ben Deci, California Earthquake Authority spokesperson. “But it’s also so important to think about the steps we can take before the next earthquake to help protect our families. We can make our homes more resilient through seismic retrofits, and there are grants available to help. And we can make our pocketbooks more resilient too with earthquake insurance.” |
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Who/Where: |
Janiele Maffei, CEA Chief Mitigation Officer Fremont High School – Los Angeles Stephanie Stephens, Mitigation Director, California Residential Mitigation Program Hayward City Hall – Hayward Sheri Pierce, Outreach Manager, California Residential Mitigation Program Dwinelle Plaza – University of California Berkeley Ben Deci, CEA Senior Media Officer Sacramento & Zoom/phone |
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When: |
Janiele and Stephanie – 5:30 am to 1 pm Sheri – 11 am – 2 pm Ben – All day upon request For help with coordination, please contact media@calquake.com or call (279) 203-5998. |
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Note: |
Speakers from partner organizations may also be available for interviews. Contact: Mark Bentheim, Director of Communication, Education, and Outreach |
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Resources: |
Video footage showing how to strengthen homes against earthquake damage is available via YouTube. Demonstrations of Drop, Cover, and Hold On are also available via YouTube. Additional resources are available in CEA’s online press room and the Resources page of the ShakeOut website. |
About CEA
The California Earthquake Authority (CEA) is a not-for-profit public instrumentality of the state of California that has two distinct roles: Since 1996, CEA has provided residential earthquake insurance while educating Californians about earthquake risk and helping them reduce their risk of earthquake losses through residential mitigation. Since 2019, CEA also has administered the Wildfire Fund, a catastrophe fund that provides a source of funding for payment of claims arising from a wildfire caused by any large electrical utility company that meets the legal requirements for participation in the fund.