After ShakeOut, take stock of how much water you have in your emergency kit



As the state gears up for the Great Washington ShakeOut on Oct. 18, preparedness experts are urging residents to take stock of their emergency supplies, especially what they would do about water if they were suddenly without power or access to a grocery store for two weeks.

The Washington Emergency Management Division has released a series of new videos giving advice on how to store water properly and how to get 2 Weeks Ready.

“Unlike the recent hurricanes we’ve seen in the south, where residents have several days of notice to prepare, earthquakes happen without warning,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “That’s why it’s so important for Washington residents to prepare now and make sure they have an emergency kit to take with them or keep at home.”

Inslee issued a proclamation earlier this week, calling on residents to participate in the Great Washington ShakeOut at 10:18 a.m. on Oct. 18. ShakeOut is a day and time to think about if an earthquake were to happen what would you do if an earthquake and tsunami were to hit our state. More than 1 million residents have signed up so far – the fifth year in a row the state has achieved that number. The state has been participating in ShakeOut since 2012. It’s the largest earthquake drill in the world, attracting more than 58 million registered participants.

People and organizations can sign up to participate at www.shakeout.org/washington. Registration isn’t required but helps keep the state informed on preparedness actions and highlights community members and organizations that are doing their part to build a more resilient Washington.

For the first time, all of the coastal sirens in Washington state will be tested on Oct. 18 at 10:18 a.m. using the real sound of the siren, not the Westminster Chimes that typically happen during the monthly tests. During previous ShakeOut drills, some jurisdictions had opted out, but all of the sirens will activate now. Also, for the first time, state law has been changed requiring a mandatory tsunami evacuation drills for schools in mapped inundation areas.

In addition, we’ve worked with seismologists and preparedness experts on the best science on how to protect yourself from an earthquake if you’re outdoors, driving or even in a grocery store and put it in an easy-to-read infographic.

“The best thing residents can do is to drop, cover and hold on,” said Earthquake Program Manager Maximilian Dixon with the Washington Emergency Management Division. “But not everyone is going to be by a table when an earthquake hits so we wanted to make sure they had the best advice possible.”

We also encourage participants to take photos of themselves participating in the drill and post those photos to social media using the hashtag #ShakeOut or tag our Twitter account at @waShakeOut.

For media interested in covering the Great Washington ShakeOut, the Seattle School District is making John Hay Elementary School, at 201 Garfield Street in Seattle available. Media interested in attending, please RSVP with Seattle Schools Facilities Communications Specialist Thomas Redman at tlredman@seattleschools.org or (253) 740-8844. Redman says parking will be available for news vans and he’ll be on site by 9:30 a.m. Maximilian Dixon, WA EMD earthquake program manager, will also be on site for interviews.  

Earthquake preparedness experts are also available for interviews in the days before ShakeOut.

On Oct. 11, we hosted a Reddit AMA about earthquakes. See the questions and answers here.

Other media outlets across Washington state can customize their coverage and find local residents, businesses and schools participating through a searchable registry on the website: http://shakeout.org/washington/whoisparticipating/

Preparedness tips are available here: http://mil.wa.gov/preparedness

Tips in Spanish: https://www.mil.wa.gov/preparese