Californians are aware of the frequency of seismic activity that the state is prone to. Anyone who has lived in California for an extended period has probably felt the earth rattle and roll beneath them.
According to the United States Geological Survey, California is among the top 16 states at high risk for a damaging earthquake in the next half-century and it is the number two state for most frequent and highest magnitude quakes.
The experience of an earthquake can be an unsettling one for some, and for others, it can be a favorable event on occasions of low magnitude.
The Great California Shakeout 2019 is an event coordinated by the Earthquake Country Alliance, who according to their website is a “public-private-grassroots partnership of people, organizations, and regional alliances that work together to improve earthquake and tsunami preparedness, mitigation and resiliency.”
CSUSB participated in this event along with 10.8 million other Californians, on October 17, 2019, by practicing how to protect ourselves during an earthquake. At 10:17 a.m., communications professor Angelina Burkhart, along with the rest of the staff on campus guided their classes through the three steps to stay safe: drop, cover, and hold on.
“As part of the drill, we send a message to students, faculty, and staff to remind them to be prepared in order to survive and recover when the next big shaker hits. We also use the drill as a reminder for the campus community to review and update their emergency preparedness plans and supplies. Again, our goal is for everyone to be prepared and safe,” said Joe Gutierrez of the Office of Strategic Communication at CSUSB. The ShakeOut initiative began in Southern California in 2008, making this the 12th year of preparing Californians.
“I had no idea how serious the preparation was when thinking about the Great Shakeout. So, the drill put things into perspective for me to be better prepared just in case. Especially for my family,” said Britney Conerly, a senior on campus.
The drill was well received by both students and faculty that participated with the potential to be life-saving.
“I truly hope communities all over California consider this a very real and possible event that will impact every person’s life at some point. I think living in this awesome state comes with a responsibility to educate ourselves about the one true natural danger we face – earthquakes. I hope Californians take drills like this seriously and prepare themselves for the future,” said junior Sydney Filijan.
Leave a Reply