Newsroom

CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University faculty, staff, and students will participate this Thursday, Oct. 20, in the Great Oregon Shake Out, an earthquake preparation drill taking place across the nation.

At 10:20 a.m., Oct. 20, members of the Corvallis campus community are asked to "Drop, Cover, and Hold-On" for 60 seconds to simulate the response to an earthquake. Participation is voluntary but encouraged.

Oregon is subjected to minor earthquakes daily, but the largest event forecast has yet to occur within our lifetime.  The Cascadia Subduction zone earthquake could reach magnitude 9.0 or higher and to last for 5-7 minutes, followed by a 30-50 foot tsunami at the coast.

"The proper response to earthquakes is simple but important for everyone to perform correctly and automatically," OSU Emergency Preparedness Manager Michael Bamberger said. "When the shaking is felt, drop low to the ground, seek overhead cover to protect yourself from falling debris, and hold on to the cover so it does not move away from you.  When the shaking has stopped, cautiously exit the building while watching for any falling objects or debris."

OSU community members who do participate in the Great Oregon Shake Out are asked to fill out a Qualtrics Survey http://bit.ly/2ed6o40 after the event. Departments are also asked to count the number of participants and send that information to Bamberger at [email protected] so he can update the OSU participation tally on the Shake Out website.

Additional information about the Shake Out can be found at:

• http://emergency.oregonstate.edu/oregon-shake-out
• http://shakeout.org/oregon/