Be a Great Washington ShakeOut Champion!

You CAN survive the big one IF you get prepared. Join the movement and support earthquake/tsunami awareness in your community.

Register for ShakeOut!

Learn about earthquake & tsunami hazards

Take action

What is ShakeOut?

The Great ShakeOut is the world’s largest Earthquake drill! Each year, on the third Thursday in October, participants all over the world use this opportunity to practice what they would do in case an earthquake occurred suddenly: Drop, Cover, and Hold On!

Washington is earthquake and tsunami country – either of these hazards could strike at any time. The Great ShakeOut is the perfect annual opportunity to learn about these hazards, practice how to protect yourself from earthquake and tsunamis, and take action to get prepared for disasters, so they won’t impact you as much when they occur. When you join everyone else in Washington and around the world participating, it can even be fun!

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Take Action – Be a ShakeOut Champion

Washington is earthquake AND tsunami country, and we need your help to be disaster ready. If you would like to do more to help prepare your community, organization, or workplace for earthquake and tsunami hazards, here are some actions you can take. Every step you take to prepare helps make Washington more resilient in the face of disaster!

• Learn about Washington’s earthquake and tsunami hazards and share that information with others in your community.
• Register and participate in the Great Washington ShakeOut (drills can be done at any time of the year). Encourage your friends and family to do the same!
• Play an audio broadcast during your drill to practice receiving alerts from the a ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System.
• Prepare yourself and your family (go kits, evacuation maps, family reunification plans).
• Sign up for local emergency alerts and purchase a NOAA Weather Radio. If you’re on the coast, download the NANOOS Tsunami Evacuation App.
• If you’re on the coast, practice walking your tsunami evacuation route after you drop, cover, and hold on.
• Hand out ShakeOut postcards (PDF) to friends and businesses or use them as a graphic to post about ShakeOut on social media.
• Promote earthquake/tsunami drills and preparedness actions in your community.
• Be creative – you know your community the best!
  
  

Postcards	Home Hazard Hunt	Kid's Activities
Download Brochure	Be Informed: sign up for Alerts	Links

Activities for Kids

It’s never too early to start teaching kids to be earthquake and tsunami safe. Below are free activities that can be done at home or in the classroom alongside your drop, cover, and hold on drill. Be sure to print out the Great Washington ShakeOut Champion certificate so your child can proudly show that they helped make Washington a safer place!

• Easy Earthquake Maze & Coloring Page (PDF)
• Earthquake Maze & Word Search (Medium Difficulty) (PDF)
• Easy Tsunami Maze & Coloring Page (PDF)
• ‘NOAA Knows Tsunamis’ Fact Sheet & Crossword (PDF)
• Great Washington ShakeOut Champion Certificate (PDF)
• Check out the American Red Cross’ Pillowcase Project and Prepare with Pedro
  
• Download the American Red Cross Monster Guard Game (Free app for iPhone & iOS)
  
• Download the Fred the Preparedness Dog Activity Book (Free PDF)
• Download the Ready Wrigley coloring books, checklists, and posters 

More Information

ShakeOut

• Register for Great Washington ShakeOut 
• Statistics: How many people participated and from where? Enter your state to find out.

Hazards

• Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR): Geologic Hazards Portal 
• DNR Geologic Hazards Map

Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) 

• ShakeAlert Information
• Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN) EEW
• Recent Earthquakes <a

  Home Retrofit Resources

  • Secure your Space
  • Strong-Tie Video: How to retrofit homes and structures 
  • Strong-Tie Page
  • Project Impact

  Seismic Scenario Information: Studies assessing the potential impacts of earthquakes on Washington

  • CREW’s Cascadia Subduction zone Magnitude 9.0 Publication 
  • DNR Seismic Scenario Catalog: click “seismic scenarios”  

  Tsunami

  • Washington Tsunami Roadshow 2020 webinar (YouTube)

  The first virtual Tsunami Roadshow; learn about the science and dynamics of tsunamis, tsunami alerts, and how to prepare for and respond to tsunamis.

  • WA DNR Geoportal Tsunami Evacuation Map
    

  Look up your address on WA DNR’s Geoportal Tsunami Evacuation Map to see if you live, work, or go to school in a tsunami inundation zone.
  

  • WA DNR Tsunami Evacuation Route Maps
  • WA DNR Tsunami Simulation Playlist (YouTube)
    A video playlist of tsunami wave simulation videos (inundation and current velocity) for different locations on Washington’s coasts.
  • Tsunami.gov
    Learn about the Tsunami Warning Centers that monitor for tsunamis 24/7. The tsunami.gov main page displays recent earthquakes and tsunami events, as well as any current tsunami alert levels across the globe.
  • NANOOS Tsunami Evacuation App
    The Tsunami Evacuation App provides an at-a-glance view of where the tsunami hazard zones are along the Oregon and Washington coast, and allows you to map whether your home, work, school, etc. is located in a tsunami evacuation zone or not.
  • NOAA Weather Radio
    Learn more about NOAA Weather Radio and how to buy a NOAA Weather Radio receiver.

  Earthquake Safety (What to do during an Earthquake)

  • When an earthquake Strikes, will you know what to do? (video animation) 
  • How to Drop Cover, and Hold on in different situations poster
  • Drop, Cover, and Hold On Links: How to Drop, Cover and Hold On in any situation you may find yourself in when the shaking starts.  

  Preparedness

  • Secure your space 
  • Create a disaster plan
  • Organize disaster supplies
  • Minimize financial hardship
  • Washington Emergency Management preparedness information
  • Preparedness Videos in multiple languages