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SANTA ANA, Calif. – What are you doing at 10:00 am tomorrow? If the answer isn’t riding through a 7.8 earthquake then you’re missing out on a chance to make history.
The American Red Cross of Orange County will join more than 5 million of their fellow Californians by participating in the Great Southern California ShakeOut, the largest earthquake drill in American history.
The ShakeOut scenario simulates what would happen if a 7.8 earthquake, which would be 5,000 times greater than the 5.4 shaker on July 29, struck the area. Scientists estimate that an earthquake of this magnitude would cause 2,000 deaths, 50,000 injuries and $200 billion in damage.
Everyone at the Orange County Chapter in Santa Ana will drop to the ground, take cover under a desk and hold on for 55 seconds to simulate the shaking. The chapter’s emergency operations center will be activated and Red Cross employees and volunteers will spend the next few hours reacting to the simulated disaster.
While the ShakeOut will not result in actual damage, the Red Cross would like to remind the community that some of the most brilliant minds at Cal Tech based tomorrow’s scenario on fact.
The Orange County Chapter urges all Californians to use this event as an incentive to get prepared.
- Pick one or more “safe place” in each room of your home
- Designate an out-of-state contact
- Teach family members how to turn off-utilities
- Put together a disaster kit
