Great Washington ShakeOut on Oct. 17

The Great Shakeout

Today marked "the Great Shakeout," an annual reminder for earthquake preparedness.

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 are typically used during monthly tests.

In the Tri-Cities areas, radiation sirens will be tested and some local jurisdictions will test their reverse 911 and opt-in text alerts. NOAA Weather Radios will also sound an alarm. Residents can sign up for alerts on the Washington Emergency Management Division website.

Officials with the Washington Emergency Management Division are asking people not to call 911 because of the drill.

This year, the state will not be testing the Emergency Alert System on radio and TV. Also, the Wireless Emergency Alert text system on cellphones, and lahar sirens in Pierce County will not be tested.