SEATTLE – Drop, cover and hold on – the annual Great Washington ShakeOut is happening Thursday, Oct. 17.
At 10:17 a.m., more than a million Washingtonians will join in on earthquake drills at home, schools, businesses, work or outdoor spaces. The annual event happens every third Thursday of October and helps prepare people for what to do when an earthquake or tsunami hits.
During the Great Washington ShakeOut, a test will go out to those who downloaded the MyShake Earthquake Early Warning App on their phones, which is free. The app helps keep people informed about earthquakes and monitors them using data from your phone’s sensors.
The Washington Emergency Management Division said at about the same time, more than 120 state tsunami sirens along the inner and outer coast will be tested using the real sound of a tsunami warning, and NOAA Weather Radios will also sound an alarm. Officials said the sound will not be the Westminster Chimes that …