August 25, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Millions of Southland residents to practice earthquake preparedness in the Great California ShakeOut

Millions of residents in the Southland and throughout the state are expected to “drop, cover and hold on” today as part of an annual earthquake preparedness drill aimed at ensuring people are ready for the “big one.”

About 3.3 million people in Los Angeles County have registered to take part in the fifth annual “Great California ShakeOut,” which is scheduled for 10:16 a.m. About 10.3 million people have registered to take part in the drill statewide, including more than 983,000 in Orange County, according to ShakeOut.org.

At 10:16 a.m., participants will “drop” to the ground, take “cover” under a desk, table or other sturdy surface, and “hold on” for 60 seconds, as if a major earthquake were occurring.

Participants are also asked to look around during the drill and envision what might be occurring during an actual quake — what objects might be falling, what damage could be occurring and will there be a way to escape the area afterward.

The Southern California area “is highly susceptible to earthquakes and earthquake-related effects,” the website ShakeOut.org warns. “Numerous earthquake faults crisscross Southern California and no one within the area resides more than 10 miles from an active fault. In addition to damage caused directly by ground shaking and related ground failure, other hazards such as fires can easily start during and shortly after an earthquake.”

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, some 2,000 people would die, tens of thousands would be injured and more than $200 billion in damage would result from a magnitude-7.8 or larger quake, which would have 50 times the intensity of the Jan. 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake.

Hundreds of aftershocks would follow, a few of them nearly as big as the original event, according to the USGS.

Californians should be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours following an earthquake or other major disaster, officials say. That includes having a first-aid kit, medications, food and enough water for each member of a household to drink one gallon per day for at least 72 hours, according to local and state officials.

Homeowners and renters should also know how to turn off the gas in their house or apartment in case of leaks.

Government workers and students are among those expected to take part in the drill, which also has a large foreign component, with “drop, cover and hold on” exercises planned in Canada, Japan, Italy, and such U.S. territories as American Samoa, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Related Posts

Sawtelle Neighborhood Could See Seven New Small-Lot Homes Under SB 684

August 25, 2025

August 25, 2025

Plans Filed Call for Replacing a Single-Family Residence With Two-Story Homes A proposed housing development could build seven small-lot homes...

18-Year-Old Woman Fatally Shot While Trying to Break Up a Fight on a Metro Bus

August 24, 2025

August 24, 2025

Police Say the Teen Was Killed in Westchester After Intervening in a Dispute  Efforts to break up a fight on...

Chuck Lorre Buys $27.5 Million Bel Air Mansion With Hollywood Regency Pedigree

August 24, 2025

August 24, 2025

TV Producer Closed on the John Elgin Woolf–Designed Estate at a Discount Chuck Lorre, the television producer behind The Big...

Is $1,500 Enough Anymore? The L.A. Tradeoffs Between Address and Actual Living Space

August 24, 2025

August 24, 2025

New Analysis Shows What 1500 Really Buys in the LA Metro In Greater Los Angeles, $1,500 rents less space than...

Two Days, Two Denials: Menendez Brothers Rejected for Parole

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

Erik Denied After 10-Hour Hearing; Lyle Rebuffed the Next Day Erik Menendez, convicted along with his brother in the 1989...

Rob Reiner to Attend for ‘This is Spinal Tap’ as Cinespia Wraps Summer at Hollywood Forever

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

Cinespia Closes Out Summer: Fan Favorites and DJs Return to Hollywood Forever Cinespia will close out summer with four outdoor...

Amber Alert for a Critical Missing Incident: Two Foster Brothers Abducted

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

Police Seek Non-Custodial Mother Jackeline Hernandez-Torres The California Highway Patrol issued a statewide Amber Alert after two foster brothers, ages...

Culver City Police Seize Ghost Gun: Suspect Arrested After Traffic Stop

August 23, 2025

August 23, 2025

Officers Uncover Untraceable Firearm With High-Capacity Magazine Police say a traffic stop near Prospect Avenue and Venice Boulevard resulted in...

Man Arrested After Burglary Report at Lionel Richie’s Beverly Hills Home

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

Police Say the Singer Was Home When the Suspect Entered the Property One suspect was taken into custody early Friday...

Extreme Heat Warning Extended in L.A. County: Officials Urge Safety Precautions

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

National Weather Service Alerts Cover Valleys, Mountains, and Coastal Areas Dangerous heat is expected to persist through the weekend in...

Ex-Culver City Recreation Worker Indicted: Charged With Exploiting 7-Year-Old in Federal Case

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

Prosecutors Say the Former After-School Employee Faces Child Pornography Charges Federal prosecutors say a former Culver City after-school employee has...

Jury Awards $3.8M to Man Injured by Rubber Bullet During 2020 George Floyd Protest in the Fairfax District

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

Filmmaker Suffered Permanent Injuries After Being Struck by a Sheriff’s Deputy’s Round Los Angeles County must pay nearly $4 million...

LAPD Urges Possible Victims to Come Forward in Sexual Assault Case Linked to Social Media

August 22, 2025

August 22, 2025

Suspect Arrested Aug. 20 on Suspicion of Forcible Rape Los Angeles police are asking for the public’s help in identifying...

Frozen Shrimp Recall Expanded to California After Radioactive Contamination Concerns

August 21, 2025

August 21, 2025

Southwind Foods Adds California Shrimp Recall Tied to Possible Cesium-137 Exposure Southwind Foods, LLC is recalling select packages of frozen...

LAPD to Step Up DUI Enforcement With Weekend Checkpoints and Patrols

August 21, 2025

August 21, 2025

Police Plan Multiple Operations Across Los Angeles August 22-24  The Los Angeles Police Department will operate a series of DUI...