Full Notification

Today is the Great Washington Shakeout, a large earthquake and tsunami drill where everyone is encouraged to practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On to build muscle memory in preparation for a catastrophic earthquake.

• Drop, under a sturdy chair, table, desk, to protect yourself from falling debris.
• Cover, your head and your neck, to protect the most sensitive parts of your body.
• Hold On, to the object you are taking cover under, to prevent it from shaking away from you.

After the drill, which only takes a minute, everyone is encouraged to talk to friends, family, colleagues, etc. about earthquake preparedness. What's your plan? You can also take this opportunity to check in on your emergency kit.

For planning help and information about building a disaster kit, head to shakeout.org or jeffcoeoc.org.

As part of the drill, the tsunami sirens at Point Hudson, Point Wilson, and the Boatyard will be tested with their full wailing sound. Naval Magazine Indian Island will also be testing their sirens and residents on Marrowstone, in Hadlock, or near the island may hear some of their test depending on a variety of factors.

Can't hear the siren? Their intention is not to alert everyone in the community of an impending tsunami, but rather those directly in the most critically impacted areas. During a major earthquake, the shaking is your notice to evacuate, once the shaking stops. For a distant source tsunami event, residents may be notified via Nixle, the Emergency Alert System (EAS, which activates both text, radio, and television alerts), NOAA Weather Radio, and other means. Specific local information after a major disaster can be found on KPTZ and KROH radio stations.

Want to learn if you live or work in the tsuanmi zone? Head to DNR's website on tsunamis: https://www.dnr.wa.gov/programs-and-services/geology/geologic-hazards/Tsunamis

Further questions? Contact us at DEM at [email protected]