PRESS RELEASE

The City of Long Beach Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications encourages residents to participate in the Great ShakeOut, an annual earthquake drill, taking place at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20. Originally named the Great California Earthquake Drill, this earthquake safety drill is now practiced around the world with more than 40 million participants last year.

“Recent earthquakes around the world serve as a reminder that earthquakes continue to be the city’s most probable and highest impact natural hazard,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “Knowing what to do ahead of time can make a big difference for you and your family to survive and recover quickly from an earthquake.”

To participate in the Great ShakeOut, residents should register online and practice these three steps to reduce their risk of injury in an earthquake:

• DROP where you are, onto your hands and knees — this position protects you from being knocked down.
• COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand and, if possible, crawl under a sturdy table or desk for shelter.
• HOLD ON until the shaking stops.

Older adults, people with disabilities or those who have access and functional needs are encouraged to review these Earthquake Safety Accessibility Tips for guidance before, during and after an earthquake.

“Residents are urged to participate in the ShakeOut earthquake drill as a way to build confidence in their ability to respond effectively and survive an earthquake,” said Reggie Harrison, Director of the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications. “The earthquake drill is also an opportunity to ensure large items are secured to walls or the ceiling to prevent them from falling when the shaking begins”.

In addition to participating in the Great ShakeOut, the City is encouraging the public to let the day serve as an important reminder to take additional precautionary steps to prepare for any type of disaster with the following helpful tips:

• Stay alert. Sign up for Alert Long Beach to receive emergency notifications from the City.
• Learn. Residents should learn basic emergency medical procedures, take a CPR class.
• Prepare a go-bag. Residents should have a go-bag ready to evacuate when the need arises. The bag should contain essential items for individuals and their family members to be self-sustaining for up to five days.
• Get informed. Review the new Hazard Mitigation webpage, which includes informational content about earthquakes and other hazards that can impact the City, as well as links to both the full plan and the public survey.

Residents can also sign up to receive early warning notifications of 4.5 magnitude earthquakes or higher in Los Angeles County by downloading the MyShake app. This service utilizes state-of-the-art ground motion monitoring to deliver warnings via cell phone. Warnings could give you seconds to take precautionary measures before the strongest shaking starts, depending on proximity to the epicenter. 

Additional information on earthquakes and other disaster preparedness topics can be found on the Disaster Preparedness website at longbeach.gov/disasterpreparedness and on Facebook and Instagram pages at @LBDisasterPrep. 

About the City of Long Beach
Home to approximately 470,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health and Human Services; Parks, Recreation and Marine; Development Services; Public Works and more. The City also has a highly respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, 12 libraries, five golf courses, 169 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths and a Bike Share program.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. 

About Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications
The mission of the Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications is to protect the lives and property of the community and first responders through comprehensive planning, training and communication to ensure that daily requests for emergency services, as well as response, recovery, and mitigation for major emergencies and disasters is completed in an effective and efficient manner.