With researchers pointing out the probability of a significant earthquake on the San Andreas Fault sometime within the next 30 years, EC and the rest of Southern California are preparing to duck, cover and hold.
“The San Andreas Fault (which runs very close to Santa Clarita) has a very active history with a large earthquake every 150 years. The last one was in 1857, 152 years ago come January. For the Southern section of the fault, it’s been 300 years,” Rocky Bonura, Director of Safety and Risk Management said.
The magnitude 5.4 earthquake that rocked southern California on July 29 is about 5,000 times smaller than the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in the Shakeout Earthquake Scenario, a week-long event November 12-16. The goal is to promote earthquake preparedness, and it will include the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history at 10 a.m. on November 13.
“The main objective of this drill is to have people informed, for them to be aware,” Bonura said. “In the Northridge earthquake of 1994, people weren’t informed or aware thus causing fatalities and many casualties because people just didn’t know what to do.”
This drill will take place at homes, businesses, schools, places of worship and communities across southern California. The ShakeOut is being organized by the Earthquake Country Alliance.
“The July 29 earthquake in Chino Hills was a wake-up call reminder for us to make the important changes we need to survive the inevitable,” Bonura said.
With 22 million people living and working in southern California, a major earthquake in the region could cause an unprecedented catastrophe. What we do now, before a big earthquake, will determine what our lives will be like afterwards. With large earthquakes an inevitable part of their future, Southern Californians must act quickly to ensure that disasters do not become catastrophes.
“In an emergency, being prepared can make all the difference,” Bonura said. “With the potential for a major earthquake in our region, it is all the more critical that we take steps now to educate and prepare our friends and family. Having emergency response plans in place, knowing our neighbors, and participating in drills such as the shakeout are just some ways that residents can help mitigate damages and hopefully prevent devastation that could occur.”
Bonura says that findings included the likelihood that many fires would erupt in Southern California because of the quake; multiple buildings would sustain some form of damage, with many older structures, including high-rise steel complexes, crashing to the ground; and power lines, rail lines and roads would become unusable throughout the region.
“During earthquakes, you have buildings that fall down, structures getting damaged, not to mention phone lines and rail lines” Bonura said. “It’s going to be a mess once that major earthquake hits and that is why we want to educate people to not go outside when an earthquake hits because things could fall on you.”
When she was only 12 years-old, math major Tram Nguyen can still recall one horrific incident. She said late that night, she ran to her parent’s bedroom during the Northridge earthquake and looking back at what she did was not the smartest thing to do.
“Imagine what could’ve happened to me,” asked Nguyen.”The TV, my clothes and hangers could’ve fallen on me and I could’ve died. Thank God nothing bad happened to me.”
Nguyen says that participating in the shakeout will not only educate her, but others as well when an earthquake hits. When earthquakes usually come, people often panic and don’t know what to do, therefore causing many accidents.
“With the major earthquake expected to drop anytime soon, we will need to know what to do,” Hoang said. “If I knew back then when Northridge (earthquake) hit, I would not have ran to my mom’s room and instead would have gone under my bed regardless if I was scared or not.”
At 10am on Nov. 13, EC police cars will sound off their horns from multiple areas on campus indicating that the shakeout has started. Students will be prompted to duck, cover and hold on. Students will be required to stay put until further noticed. Captains assigned from each building will have to communicate with the EC police department to receive the “go signal” of evacuating their classrooms. This drill will also give students a chance to identify who their “building leaders” are in case of a real emergency.
“This is no joke,” Bonura said. “We will simulate and re-enact a real earthquake and will also follow safety procedure and guidelines so that when the real deal hits, everyone from students and faculty will be aware and informed on who to look for and what to do.”
Although students are really excited and thrilled about the shakeout and are anticipating what will happen, some students however, are concerned. Efrain Gutierrez, a Business major says that along with the positives of the shakeout, he is also looking at the negatives. Gutierrez is concerned that students might not take it as serious causing students to goof around and run around when they are not supposed to.
“I’m just concerned because you have immature people that will take this as a joke,” Gutierrez says. “Of course it is not a real earthquake, so you will have people running around thinking that it’s some kind of joke when it is not. This has to be a level of concern for faculty and for the police.”
Although it is a concern of some students that others won’t take the shakeout as serious as others, Bonura says that for the most part, he feels that everyone will be cooperative because everyone wants to be educated and wants to know how to handle the up-coming major earthquake that will rock California.
“Of course you will have students that will goof-off and won’t take this seriously,” Bonura said. “That comes with the territory, but for the most part, I know very well that everyone wants to be educated, everyone wants to know what to do once that big earthquake hits. Who wouldn’t?”
Bonura would like to thank all students, faculty and all participants in advance for this historic event and for carrying about everyone’s well-being and safety.
“I would like to thank in advance; everyone from students and faculty to other people participating in the shakeout because I know that it will be a success due to everyone’s level of concern regarding the big earthquake that will hit California,” Bonura said. “Just remember to duck, cover and hold.”