Drop, Cover and Hold On for the Great California ShakeOut

At 10:20 a.m. this morning Wednesday, Oct. 20, 8.5 million people will stop and do the same exact thing—drop, cover and hold on.

Join your neighbors, friends, teachers and colleagues as California participates in the fourth annual largest earthquake drill ever as a reminder of how earthquake preparedness can help save a life.

According to the because major earthquakes are unpredictable the Great California ShakeOut is a "chance to practice how to protect ourselves and for everyone to become prepared."

The more often people practice what to do when the earth starts to move, the smarter and quicker they'll react to protect themselves and others around them.

Some suggestions from the Southern California Earthquake Center include:

• If indoors: Drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it firmly.
• If Driving: Pull over to the side of the road, stop, and set the parking brake.
• If near the shore: Drop, cover and hold on until the shaking stops. Estimate how long the shaking lasts. If severe shaking lasts 20 seconds or more, immediately evacuate to high ground as a tsunami might have been generated by the earthquake.

In Mountain View, the students in grades from K-12 will drop, cover and hold on. As will residents Neehar Athalye, Mark Green, Roberta Peters and Denley Rafferty will too.

Stop by any fire statons and join the MVFD as they join in. The attorneys and staff at , the developers at IMVU, the people over at Lund Pearson McLaughlin Fire Protection Systems will drop, cover and hold on too.

What will you be doing? Are you prepared?

For questions about earthquake preparedness in Mountain View contact Lynn Brown, Office of Emergency Services coordinator, at 650-903-6825.