Play “Beat the Quake” at ShakeOut.org

The Southern California Earthquake Center at USC, an organizer of the Great Southern California ShakeOut, invites residents to play an online quake preparedness game ahead of massive region-wide drill on Nov. 13.

Can you “Beat the Quake”? Find out before the real one hits with an online game at www.ShakeOut.org, the web site for the Great Southern California ShakeOut emergency drill planned for Nov. 13.

More than four million participants are registered for the Great Southern California ShakeOut, organized in part by the Southern California Earthquake Center at USC. At 10 a.m. on Nov. 13, millions throughout Southern California’s eight counties will drop to the ground, take cover under a table or desk, and hold on, to practice what to do to be safe during earthquakes. All Southern Californians are urged to register at www.ShakeOut.org (or in Spanish at www.ShakeOut.org/espanol).

To help Southern Californians prepare for the ShakeOut Drill, a fun and informative game called “Beat the Quake” is now available at www.ShakeOut.org. Players secure objects in a virtual living room before a simulated earthquake shakes and breaks those items not secured. The new game is also at www.dropcoverholdon.org, a new site featuring a compelling animation of what to do during earthquakes and other safety tips.

“Preparing for a major earthquake is a community effort. While the ShakeOut has already drawn more than four million participants, we’re challenging all of Southern California to double that number by recruiting neighbors, colleagues, friends and classmates,” said Mark Benthien, director of communication, education and outreach at SCEC.

“‘Beat the Quake’ allows us to engage a large portion of the population in a fun, interactive way so that they are prepared when the Big One hits. It also makes for a great teaching tool for kids and families,” said Dr. Lucy Jones, of the U.S. Geological Survey, who led a group of more than 300 experts that detailed the expected consequences of a hypothetical magnitude 7.8 earthquake that starts at the Salton Sea and ruptures northward along the San Andreas fault for 190 miles.

“Beat the Quake” was made possible with generous support from The Home Depot as part of its efforts to promote home safety and security.

ABOUT USC’s participation in the ShakeOut

On Nov. 13, USC will conduct a campus-wide, worst-case emergency simulation that will assume substantial casualties, building damage and no help from outside agencies.

All students, staff, and faculty will be invited to participate in the drop, cover, hold on drill, and USC emergency preparedness officials will stage a mass-casualty incident drill to test the response of campus emergency staff and designated responders.

Media will be invited to attend.

ABOUT the Great Southern California ShakeOut

With a goal of at least five million participants, the ShakeOut Drill will be the largest in U.S. history. To participate, go to www.ShakeOut.org/register and pledge your family, school, business, or organization’s participation in the drill. Registered participants will receive information on how to plan their drill, connect with other participants, and encourage a dialogue with others about earthquake preparedness.

There are many ways to take part, but at the least participants should “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” at 10 a.m. on Nov. 13. It all begins with registering, which is free and open to everyone.

For more information, visit www.ShakeOut.org and check out the official ShakeOut Blog at greatsocalshakeout.blogspot.com.

ORGANIZERS

The ShakeOut is organized by the Earthquake Country Alliance (ECA), a partnership of earthquake professionals, emergency responders, business leaders, and community activists and is based on the “ShakeOut Earthquake Scenario,” a comprehensive study of a potential magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault (urbanearth.usgs.gov).

The ECA is organized by the Southern California Earthquake Center, a consortium of research organizations headquartered at the University of Southern California. USC is a major ShakeOut participant, and has organized the “USC Ready” campaign to help staff, faculty, and students prepare for earthquakes.

For more information on the Southern California Earthquake Center, visit http://www.scec.org/.