ShakeOut drill to include MyShake Earthquake App
Published 1:30 am Monday, October 17, 2022
Submitted by Washington Department of Emergency.
The Great Washington ShakeOut is set for Oct. 20 – one week from today — and will feature a test using the MyShake Earthquake Early Warning App.
At 10:20 a.m. on Oct. 20, you’re invited to drop, cover and hold on wherever you are – whether it’s at work, home or school. At about the same time, more than 120 Washington tsunami sirens along the inner and outer coast will be tested using the real wailing sound of a tsunami warning, not the Westminster Chimes that are typically used during the monthly tests. NOAA Weather Radios will also sound an alarm.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL 911.
For the first time, a test will go out to those who have downloaded the FREE MyShake Earthquake Early Warning App on their phones. The test alert should include test audio telling people that this is a system test and no action is required. The MyShake App is powered by the USGS ShakeAlert™ Earthquake Early Warning system and can provide a few seconds of warning before an actual earthquake hits. There will NOT be a test of the Wireless Emergency Alert system or Android’s built-in earthquake alerts.
Earthquake Early Warning is a relatively new technology in Washington state, available to the public for about a year and a half now. To find links to download the app and the three ways to get earthquake alerts on your phone in Washington, visit mil.wa.gov/alerts. . If you don’t have the MyShake App you can still practice your great ShakeOut Drill simulating seconds of warning with a drill recording available here.
More than 1.3 million Washington residents have registered to participate in the earthquake and tsunami drill so far. Registration isn’t required but it helps us with understanding how effective our outreach is. It’s also free and easy to register at https://www.shakeout.org/washington/.
During ShakeOut at 10:20 a.m. on Oct. 20 we encourage people to drop, cover and hold on wherever they are – work, home, school, walking in park or at a shopping mall. Practicing builds muscle memory for when the real earthquake comes. If Oct. 20 doesn’t work for you, you can participate at a time that’s more convenient for you – it’s most important that you just practice.
During the event, use #ShakeOut on social media to join many others across the country posting pictures of themselves under desks or using proper earthquake protection techniques. You can also tag our Twitter account at @waShakeOut.
The drill only takes about five minutes, but you and your family are encouraged to take additional steps like crafting a communications plan, making an out-of-state contact or storing jugs of water – prepare at least one gallon of water per person per day. Every step you take to prepare helps make Washington more resilient in the face of disaster and will make even a huge event like an earthquake have less impact on you and your family.
If you’re on the coast, consider walking your evacuation route – or at least figure out where you would need to go to evacuate. You can find maps and how the sirens work at https://mil.wa.gov/tsunami.
If you hear the siren wailing sound any other time than on Oct. 20, immediately follow the closest tsunami evacuation route inland or to high ground. This is your warning that a tsunami is approaching and you need to evacuate the inundation zone as soon as possible. If you are on the coast and you feel the ground shaking, drop, cover and hold on to protect yourself. When the shaking stops, immediately follow the closest tsunami evacuation route inland or to high ground. Do not wait to hear a tsunami siren or to receive an official tsunami alert – the shaking is your warning that a tsunami may be on its way.
