ON Saturday, November 15, 2008,
Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne joined California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, U.S. Geological Survey Director Mark Myers and more than 5 million Californians in The Great Southern California Shakeout, the largest earthquake preparedness drill in U.S. history
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne joined California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, U.S. Geological Survey Director Mark Myers and more than 5 million Californians in participating in The Great Southern California Shakeout, the largest earthquake preparedness drill in U.S. history, on November 13, 2008.
“This is one of the most impressive and effective exercises that has ever taken place anywhere in the world,” Kempthorne said at the Holy Cross Triage Center in Mission Hills. “I say ‘exercise’ but keep in mind that the scientists would tell you it is not a question of ‘if,’ it is a question of ‘when’ a major earthquake will hit.”
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ON Wednesday, November 12, 2008,
Today the USGS released a collection of animated movies, giving a compelling look at the ShakeOut Scenario earthquake. The movies show the intensity of ground motion as the earthquake waves move through southern California, leaving destruction behind. There are 15 different viewpoints around southern California, capturing the earthquake throughout the region. In the movies, exaggeration of the ground deformation enables the viewer to see waves of distinct periods and complex motions. Some structures are vulnerable to short period waves (these are waves that repeat their motion quickly). Other structures – including tall buildings – are vulnerable to the longer-period waves that are only created in truly large earthquakes like the magnitude 7.8 ShakeOut Scenario.
ON Monday, November 10, 2008,
After a significant earthquake, the USGS and its partners provide numerous and varied information to help in understanding the event and responding to it. Simulated versions of many of those web pages and products have been created for the ShakeOut earthquake so that drill participants can try them and learn just how useful they would be after a real earthquake.
