Ready San Diego Blog

5.4 Magnitude Earthquake Shakes San Diego County

The US Geological Service has reported a 5.4 magnitude earthquake centered 13 miles northwest of Borrego Springs. Our office checked with local agencies and there are no preliminary reports of injuries or damage. We will update the site with information as needed. The quake is a good reminder to look through our site for preparedness information to make sure you’re ready for the next disaster. Go to www.readysandiego.org for preparedness information. To see more information about the earthquake, visit the USGS site at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqscanv/FaultMaps/116-33.html.

Learn What To Do For A Tsunami

As part of Tsunami Awareness Week, residents are encouraged to learn how to respond in the event of a tsunami off any coast including San Diego.

While historically, San Diego has not experienced a devastating tsunami after a strong earthquake such as Chile and America Samoa, it is still important for residents to learn how to recognize the signs of a tsunami and know what to do.

A tsunami is a series of fast-moving, powerful ocean waves that can cause a rapid innundation of low-lying coastal areas. The waves can result in damage or, in severe cases, sweep people away, and destroy buildings and cars. The tsunami is usually the result of a strong far-source or offshore earthquake, but it could also be caused by an offshore landslide.

You do not need to wait for an official warning to react, if you are on or near the coast and feel a strong earthquake that shakes for 20 seconds or longer, or if you're at the beach and see water start to recede from the shore suddenly. If this happens, you should immediately move inland at least a mile, and head for higher ground. If you are warned or advised to stay out of the water and off the beaches for safety purposes, please listen to authorities.  

For more information on tsunamis, visit www.readysandiego.org, or review these brochures at http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/oes/docs/Tsunami_Risk_San_Diego_2005.pdf or http://www.stormready.noaa.gov/tsunamiready/resources/Tsmi_Brochure10.pdf.

San Diegans Respond to ShakeOut Drill Participation Challenge

Nearly 580,000 San Diego County residents took part in the Great California ShakeOut drill activities taking place around the region. Statewide, nearly 7 million people including individuals, families, schools, universities, businesses, museums, local governments and faith-based and community organizations, registered to join the earthquake drill at 10:15 a.m.

“We are extremely pleased that more people are getting involved and practicing the correct actions to take during an earthquake. Our ultimate goal is for people’s response to become automatic so that injuries and deaths can be minimized in a real earthquake,” said Ron Lane, director of the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services.

Hundreds of museums patrons and employees participated in a drop, cover and hold on drill – ducking under tables or moving to an interior wall and protecting their heads until the audio broadcast was over in Balboa Park. Five minutes later, all the facilities in the park were evacuated as they would be in a real emergency. After all museum staff reported that the facilities had been cleared, all were allowed to return. ShakeOut earthquake preparedness fliers and information was made available to patrons at the San Diego Natural History Museum.

Last year, 5.4 million people including 470,000 San Diego County residents, participated in the Great Southern California ShakeOut.  The drill is now statewide, giving all Californians the opportunity to learn about preparedness and safety during an earthquake, whether you are at home, work or school. Next year’s drill will take place at 10:21 a.m. on 10/21.

Individuals, families, schools, businesses, government agencies and organizations are encouraged to share drill experiences and photographs at www.shakeout.org.  For disaster preparedness information, please visit www.ReadySanDiego.org.

Statewide ShakeOut Drill to Shake Up County

 
All Residents are Urged to Participate in Massive Drill at 10:15 on 10/15

Residents still have time to join the nearly seven million Californians, including more than 480,000 people in San Diego County, who have already signed up for the Great California ShakeOut earthquake drill, which will take place at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15.

 

“We want people to practice how to drop, cover and hold on during the drill by quickly getting under a heavy table or desk to avoid falling objects. It is important for people to participate in the drill because, in an emergency, people react according to what they have practiced,” said Ron Lane, director of the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services. “The Great California ShakeOut also gets people thinking about what they can do now to prepare for a disaster.” 

 

Last year, 5.4 million people participated in the Great Southern California ShakeOut.  The drill is now statewide, giving all Californians the opportunity to learn about preparedness and safety during an earthquake, whether you are at home, work or school.

 

Individuals, families, schools, businesses, government agencies and organizations can register for the Great California ShakeOut at www.shakeout.org.  The ShakeOut Web site also has “ShakeOut Drill Broadcast” recordings to play during the drill; manuals for schools, businesses, non-profits and other organizations; checklists; and educational materials.

 

You can also get information about disaster preparedness from the County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services by visiting www.ReadySanDiego.org.

Local Radio Podcast - Nearly 7 Million Registered to ShakeOut

Are you ready for a 7.8 earthquake? To get ready, register on www.ShakeOut.org to take part in the largest earthquake drill in the state of California at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, October 15.

To learn more about the Great California ShakeOut drill in San Diego County and the risk to residents, listen to the first hour of KPBS's "These Days" audio podcast. Ron Lane, geologist Pat Abbott, and Dave Dalton, ShakeOut Chair and San Diego Natural History security director, were guests on the program.

Visit the County of San Diego Office of Emergency Services at www.ReadySanDiego.org to learn more about emergency preparedness.

Newspaper Articles Focus on Regional Preparedness Improvements

The North County Times published two articles on regional preparedness over the weekend.

The first: "Region: Officials say region much better prepared to stop wildfires" focused on how the region has more resources in place to help fight a fire.

"We have more firemen, more equipment and better training," said Ralph Steinhoff, fire services coordinator for San Diego County, which provided money to rural fire districts to buy 30 new fire engines. "We have better coordination, and we've adddressed almost everything that was identified as presenting an opportunity for improvement."

A second article, "Region: County is better prepared for evacuations, officials say" looks to improvements in the regional emergency evacuation procedures.

As the region rides out another wildfire season, officials say San Diego County is better prepared to evacuate people from harm's way than it was during the devastating fire storms in 2003 and 2007 ---- a good thing because a survey shows that one out of five backcountry residents ignored evacuation orders in 2007. 

Since those two wildfires, the county developed a regional evacuation plan outlining evacuation routes and potential shelters, improved coordination among law enforcement and transportation agencies, and installed systems that call residents at home and on their cell phones to warn of an emergency.

"Certainly, since 2003, we've done tremendous improvements," said Ron Lane, director of the county's Office of Emergency Services, which coordinates evacuations during emergencies when multiple jurisdictions are involved.

To read the entire articles, click on the article names to be directed to the North County Times web site.

It's Almost Drill Time ... Six Days to the 2009 ShakeOut

As of today, more than 6.4 million Californians are registered to participate in the Great California ShakeOut drill at 10:15 a.m. on October 15 (10/15). In San Diego County, we have more than 481,000 participants this year surpassing 2008's 470,000 participants. The County of San Diego is registered, is your city, business, faith-based or community organization, medical facility, university/college, or family member registered and ready to do the Drop, Cover, and Hold On drill? Register now!

Why should San Diegans be concerned? It may surprise you to know that a major fault, called Rose Canyon, cuts right through the heart of downtown San Diego, through the center of San Diego Bay, and north through La Jolla and northward along the coast. Read more about San Diego County earthquake hazards here.

For more information on preparing for an earthquake, visit www.ReadySanDiego.org.

Two Weeks to the 2009 ShakeOut!

 

The Samoan earthquake and tsunami on 9/29 and the Indonesian earthquake on 9/30 remind us that earthquakes happen without warning, and can cause widespread destruction. Our goal in California is to develop a culture of earthquake and tsunami readiness, so that losses will be minimized and we can recover quickly. What each of us does in our homes, schools, and offices, and what we do together as communities and as a state, will determine whether California's next major earthquake will be a natural disaster (from which we can recover quickly), or a major catastrophe that will affect our way of life for many years.

 The Great California ShakeOut is about more than just practicing "drop, cover, hold on." It's about getting us all to talk about earthquakes, think about preparedness, and to act now. Have you told your neighbors, family, colleagues, or others that you are part of the ShakeOut, and asked them to join you by registering? This, more than anything ShakeOut organizers can do, will lead to people participating, getting prepared, and one day possibly surviving a major earthquake. 

Great news! As of today more than 5.6 million Californians are registered to participate in the ShakeOut drill at 10:15 a.m. on October 15. Use the interactive map on the ShakeOut home page to see how many are in your area- and review lists of who is participating. The 2009 ShakeOut is now officially larger than the 2008 ShakeOut, and there are still 15 days left! Please forward this message to colleagues, friends, family, and others to make sure they are aware of the ShakeOut and know about these resources. With two weeks still to go, many more can still register! 

REMINDER... Free ShakeOut Web Conferences this week! Ready for your ShakeOut drill? Learn how your business, organization, or government agency can plan an effective earthquake drill by participating in one of these FREE web conferences:

Government Agencies – October 1, 9 a.m.

Businesses & Organizations – October 2, 9 a.m.

Earthquakes in San Diego: How You Can Prepare

 

 

 

 

 

 

Get Ready to

ShakeOut

Are you ready San Diego for an earthquake? Learn about San Diego's fault lines and this year's Great California ShakeOut drill which will take place at 10:15 a.m. on Oct. 15, 2009.

San Diegans are invited to attend a free lecture to get informed about the different set of problems that near and distant faults present in earthquake country, including a brief introduction to our area's tsunami threat. Residents will receive emergency preparedness information to help them safeguard their families and address potential hazards.

 

Admission is free but you must obtain a ticket in advance. Seats are limited. Starting Monday, go to the San Diego Natural History Museum website at www.sdnhm.org and click under education and lectures.

 

To learn more about earthquake and emergency preparedness, visit www.ReadySanDiego.org or www.ShakeOut.org to register yourself as an individual or as an organization to participate in the statewide drill.

 

WHEN:     7:00 p.m.  on Wednesday, September 23, 2009

 

WHERE:     San Diego Natural History Museum

                     1788 El Prado, Balboa Park in the 1st Floor Atrium/Kaplan Theater

 

Featuring:

Dr. Patrick Abbott, Geologist

 

Dave Dalton, Great California ShakeOut Chair

Seven Steps to Survive an Earthquake

1. Before an earthquake, identify potential hazards in your home and fix them.

2. Complete a Family Disaster Plan.

3. Create or replenish your emergency supply kits for your home, work and vehicle.

4. During an earthquake, get under a table or desk and drop, cover and hold on. If outside, move away from power lines, building or trees that could fall over. Above all, protect your head from falling objects.

5. After an earthquake, check yourself and your family for injuries.

6. Check your home for fires, damage or gas leaks. Know where to turn off gas, if necessary, and be ready with a fire extinguisher in case of a fire.

7. Be mindful of potential aftershocks and carry out your disaster plan as necessary.

Now’s the time to complete your Family Disaster Plan, which is applicable for any disaster and available in Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. For more information on earthquakes please visit the San Diego County Office of Emergency Services earthquake section.