Tag: earthquake preparedness

The Great California ShakeOut last Thursday allowed millions of people to practice how to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” in case of an emergency earthquake.

Last month Mexico City suffered a devastating 7.1 magnitude earthquake that left more than 200 dead. Fortunately, the seismic warning system that has been in place since 1991 successfully gave the population crucial seconds to flee vulnerable buildings and prepare for the worst. The United States, however, has no such system in place; if an earthquake were to hit California, people would have no way of knowing with some advanced warning and that would decrease their chances of getting to safety. The technology already exists, so there is no excuse as to why the U.S. government has not implemented it while our neighbors south of us have.

University alumnus Steven Storbakken and a team of people from all different sectors developed an earthquake preparedness campaign, known as the Great Shakeout.

University students, faculty and administrators participated in an earthquake drill at 10:15 a.m. Oct. 15 at the same time as millions of other Californians for the Great California ShakeOut.

The University participated in the annual statewide earthquake drill “The Great California Shake Out” at exactly 10:16 a.m. on Oct. 16 to encourage everyone to prepare for the “big one.”

The University of La Verne has taken extra precautions toward earthquake preparedness in light of recent earthquakes in the Los Angeles County to prepare students and faculty in case of emergency.