The Great ShakeOut began in 2008 in Southern California and is now an international event. Humboldt State University first joined the movement in 2009.
Geology Professor Amanda Admire and students in the Geoscience Capstone course have been working to increase awareness and participation in the drill via several community and campus events. One event took place on October 5 – Pastels on the Plaza – where the Geoscience Capstone students painted a mural to raise awareness of the event. They also hosted a table on the Quad encouraging people to register and participate in this worldwide earthquake drill.
Professor Admire says that earthquake preparedness is of the utmost importance on the North Coast because the unique geology of the area provides us with one of the most seismically active regions in the United States.
“Unlike with floods and tornadoes, any weather can be earthquake weather,” says Admire. “Five minutes of practice and preparation can save your life when the next big one hits. If we can build the muscle memory to drop, cover, and hold when a larger event occurs, our body can take over while our brain panics”
On the day of the ShakeOut, Oct. 17th, those registered for the HSU Notifications text messaging system will receive a text on their phones around 10:17 a.m.
At that time, students, staff, and faculty should all drop to the ground or floor, cover themselves by getting under a table or desk (or if outside protect your head with an arm), and holding on for 60 seconds. Drop, cover, and hold!
Signing up for the HSU Notification text messaging system is easy and allows HSU to text your phone directly about emergencies and situational updates.
To sign up, change your contact number, or see if you are already enrolled, Log onto MyHumboldt, and on the main page, locate the Personal Information module. From there, click on the “Emergency Contact(s)” tab and add your main cell phone number to the “Emergency Text Message Number” box. From there, you will be directed to the Student center where you can add, change, or update all numbers associated with your account.
While the University is signed up in the Great ShakeOut, individuals can also sign themselves and their household at “shakeout.org::https://www.shakeout.org/. Professor Admire encourages everyone to sign up individually as it will provide crucial data to the various organizations behind the ShakeOut so that they can better serve and reach out to underrepresented communities and those in need of resources.
October 16-20, is also Safety Week at HSU, with first aid and safety courses being offered this week. Classes are available at no cost to students, staff, and faculty, but space is limited. View all the Safety Week classes here.
For more information on what to do during an earthquake, visit the Risk Management and Safety Services page, which chronicles some good resources for earthquake preparedness and safety. Included in these resources are some informative videos produced by Geology Professor Emerita Lori Dengler.
Living on Shaky Ground
Living on Shaky Ground is an online magazine published by Humboldt State University’s Geology Department. It is updated every few years to reflect upon the most current knowledge and survival tips regarding earthquakes. The 2016 version can be accessed here.