What you need to know: At 10:17 a.m. today, Californians across the state will participate in an earthquake safety drill to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” or “Lock, Cover, and Hold On” for individuals using a wheelchair or assistive device. In recent earthquakes felt in Southern California, alerts from the MyShake App and Earthquake Early Warning system arrived on mobile phones up to 35 seconds before shaking started.

SACRAMENTO - As millions of people participate in the international Great ShakeOut drill today, California is highlighting the importance of earthquake preparedness and the state’s first-in-the-nation Earthquake Early Warning system, which provides millions of Californians extra seconds to take protective actions before shaking occurs.
 
The Great ShakeOut is observed annually on October 17, the date of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. This magnitude 6.9 earthquake resulted in 63 deaths, thousands injured and displaced, and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.
 
Launched under Governor Gavin Newsom’s leadership, California’s nation-leading Earthquake Early Warning system notifies residents in advance of shaking by using ground motion sensors across California. Fifty percent more sensors have been installed since the program launched in 2019, making the system more accurate and able to deliver alerts faster.

Alerts from the MyShake App and Earthquake Early Warning system arrived on mobile phones up to 35 seconds before shaking from recent earthquakes began. Last month, this system provided advance notification to millions of Californians in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties of a magnitude 4.7 earthquake near Malibu. In August, it alerted Californians throughout Central and Southern California ahead of shaking from a 5.2 magnitude earthquake.

“As we mark the 35th anniversary of the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake today, our state has never been more prepared to protect Californians when a serious earthquake strikes. The state’s cutting-edge Earthquake Early Warning system is providing vital moments of warning for people to take lifesaving action, with more ground sensors to enhance accuracy and alert speed. I urge all Californians to sign up for these alerts through the no-cost MyShake App and learn more about the steps we can take to get prepared today.” - Governor Gavin Newsom

In 2020, Governor Newsom announced a partnership with Google to incorporate California’s earthquake early warning technology into all Android smartphones. California’s Earthquake Early Warning system marries a smartphone application with traditional alert and warning delivery methods such as Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA). With the integration of early warning technology within the most popular smartphones in California, the system can deliver alerts to most Californians. 
 
Earthquakes can happen at any time. Over the next 30 years, the state has a more than 99 percent chance of experiencing a magnitude 6.7 earthquake. The Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) hosted a statewide tour earlier this week featuring an earthquake simulator, educating Californians on earthquake preparedness and the MyShake App.

How to receive alerts

To receive earthquake warnings, there are three ways for individuals and families to get alerts through California’s Earthquake Early Warning system.

- MyShake App: Free smartphone app that provides iPhone users with audio and visual warnings, available in both English and Spanish.

- Smartphones: The majority of smartphones with updated operating systems are automatically subscribed to earthquake early warning, which uses the same technology as the MyShake App; and

- Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs): No-cost text messages for emergency situations sent through the nation-wide system providing lifesaving information for the State of California.

Learn more about earthquake preparedness at earthquake.ca.gov or www.Shakeout.org/California.