People in government offices, businesses and schools throughout Riverside County will stop everything Thursday for one minute to “drop, cover and hold on” during a statewide earthquake preparedness drill, now in its 18th year.
The Great California ShakeOut of 2026 is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. Thursday.
“Earthquakes may happen anywhere you work, live or travel,” according to a statement posted to ShakeOut.org. “Great ShakeOut earthquake drills are our chance to practice together how to protect ourselves, and for everyone to become prepared. The goal is to save lives and prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.”
The ShakeOut website indicated that as of Wednesday, 10.7 million Californians were slated to participate in the drill. During last year’s event, about 10.4 million statewide registered to take part.
The exercises began in 2008.
In Riverside County, 606,777 people have registered for the drill. Last year’s total was 602,412.
Municipalities whose local government employees will be involved include Cathedral City, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Eastvale, Indio, La Quinta, Murrieta, Norco, Palm Desert, Perris and Riverside.
Multiple Riverside County agencies are also signed up, among which are the Assessor-Clerk-Recorder’s Office, Department of Public Social Services, Emergency Management Department, Fire Department and Riverside University Health System.
College of the Desert, Norco College, Riverside City College and UC Riverside will also join the drill. Most kindergarten through 12th grade school districts countywide, along with private and charter schools, will have students and staff participating.
According to ShakeOut.org, the objective is to emphasize precautions during a 7.8-magnitude or larger quake along the southernmost portion of the San Andreas fault.
Officials believe that such a tectonic shift could produce waves of movement for hundreds of miles, over four minutes. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, some 2,000 people would die, tens of thousands would be injured and more than $200 billion in damage would result. The cataclysm would have 50 times the intensity of the Jan. 17, 1994, Northridge earthquake.
Hundreds of aftershocks would ensue — a few of them nearly as big as the original quake, according to USGS.
This year’s exercise follows multiple damaging quakes recorded in Central and South America. The first and worst of the series in 2026 occurred in late June near Caracas, Venezuela. The known death toll from the 7.5-magnitude catastrophe is at 6,500, with tens of thousands still homeless.
A 7.4-magnitude shaker struck western Colombia on Aug. 10, killing over 300 people and leveling parts of Manizales and surrounding communities. Late last week, a 7.7-magnitude quake centered near the western coast of Panama occurred, causing extensive damage throughout the country’s central provinces. Aftershocks registering near the same strength have since followed.
The California drill in 2019 came just over three months after the early July quakes that struck Ridgecrest. The 6.4- and 7.1-magnitude shakers caused significant damage to roads and structures in the hamlet, which lies just south of the China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station.
Californians should be prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours following a major disaster. That includes having a first-aid kit, medications, food and enough water for each member of a household to drink one gallon per day, according to local and state officials.
Homeowners and renters should also know how to turn off the gas in their residences in case of leaks.