There will be a 7.8 magnitude earthquake today at 10:21am, well sort of. There will be a statewide earthquake drill held today which is supported by several agencies including the Los Angeles Chapter of the Red Cross. The drill is part of the 2010 Great California Shake Out which is a means to teach and remind all California residents to rehearse a one-minute "Drop, Cover and Hold On" drill.
Organizers of the Shake Out found in a 2008 study that there is a 99.7 percent chance of a large earthquake occurring in California within the next 30 years and this annual earthquake drill is to encourage people to take a few minutes out of their day to rehearse what to do when an earthquake strikes.
Monica Diaz, the Red Cross Communications Director for the Los Angeles region said, "Many people continue to procrastinate even though an earthquake is inevitable in Southern California. In a disaster, emergency services may not be able to reach you for 3 to 7 days. Everyone should take the time to prepare for a disaster by refreshing or putting together an earthquake supply kit. If you haven't already prepared one, create a personal, family and workplace disaster plan. Only 40 percent of Americans are prepared for a disaster."
The purpose behind the California Shake Out is to try to convince people to take that first step in being prepared. It does not take much to organize a kit as many of the items are already available in households. It's just a matter of collecting them in one safe place to reach should a disaster occur.
Diaz went on to say, "Have food and water to last for three days, and consider taking CPR and first aid training. You may have only yourself to depend on immediately following a disaster. You may prevent injury or save a life [and that life could be your own] by being properly prepared."
For more information on how you and your family can prepare for an earthquake, go to www.shakeout.org.