The City of Malibu will join millions of people in Southern California and around the world to “Drop, Cover and Hold On” for the Great ShakeOut, the world’s largest simultaneous earthquake preparedness drill, on Thursday, October 20, 2022 at 10:20 AM at City Hall. The public is encouraged to join the exercise in person at City Hall, or conduct the drill independently, at their home, business, school, house or worship or community-based organization.  

“We live in paradise here in Malibu, but it is also earthquake country,” said Mayor Paul Grisanti. “Earthquakes are a very real threat, and it’s not a question of if, but when the ‘big one’ will strike. A major earthquake will have huge impacts to Malibu’s community, homes, infrastructure, daily lives, economy and more. It’s the responsibility of everyone in Malibu to be prepared, so I hope everyone will join us for the Great ShakeOut.” 

The goal of the Great ShakeOut is to get people prepared for major earthquakes by training on the safest way to respond before, during and after an earthquake. According to experts at the Southern California Earthquake Center, “Drop Cover and Hold On” is the safest immediate response to an earthquake. 

Great ShakeOut Earthquake drills are organized by state, regional, federal, and educational organizations locally, in coordination with the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California, with support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Science Foundation. There are 9,422,336 people registered to participate in the 2022 Great ShakeOut in California, and 43,975,582 registered to participate worldwide, as of October 18. 

How To Participate At City Hall: 

Members of the public who are in City Hall on the morning of October 20 may voluntarily join the Drop Cover and Hold On exercise for one minute starting at 10:20 AM. A public announcement will be made and Malibu City staff will participate.  

How To Participate On Your Own: “Drop Cover And Hold On” October 20 

Individuals or groups such as houses of worship, companies or schools, can conduct the exercise on their own. Just Drop Cover and Hold On for one minute at 10:20 AM on October 20, and review earthquake preparedness guides such as https://www.earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps.   

Drop where you are, onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from being knocked down and also allows you to stay low and crawl to shelter if nearby. 

Cover your head and neck with one arm and hand.

-   If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter.

-   If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to a sturdy interior wall (away from windows and large panes of glass). 

-   Stay on your knees and bend over to protect vital organs. 

Hold On until shaking stops.

-   Under shelter: hold on to it with one hand and be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts.

-   No shelter: hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands. 

If you rely a mobility device such as a walker or wheelchair, get next to a sturdy interior wall away from windows and glass, get as low as possible to the ground, lock your mobility device, stay seated, cover your head and neck, and wait until shaking stops before moving.  

If you are outside when an earthquake hits, get low to the ground and if possible, away from anything that could fall from above, such as tree branches, powerlines, roof tiles, or window glass. Wait until shaking stops before assessing your surroundings. If you are driving, pull over and stop if it is safe to do so, wait until the shaking stops, and assess your surroundings before merging back into traffic.  

For more information, including extensive earthquake preparedness resources, visit www.ShakeOut.org.