The Importance of Great Washington Shakeout Essay Example

It’s time to do the Great Washington Shakeout! Thursday, October 21 “At 10:21… “Drop, cover, and hold on for at least 60 seconds.” If you cannot get under a table, please move against a wall, and avoid overhead objects and windows” according to Ross Villegas, the Bellevue College Director of Public Safety. The Great Washington Shakeout is a day where internationally, people participate in practice for a possible earthquake. Within Washington, over 970,000 people are participating, globally roughly 17.5 million. 

So why should you care about the Great Washington Shakeout? Some regions of the world are more susceptible to earthquakes than others, one of those is Washington. Washington is settled on the “Ring of Fire,” where the Pacific Plate meets with the Juan de Fuca Plate, which is responsible for 80% of seismic activity worldwide. According to the Washington Military Department, more than 3,000 earthquakes occur in the Pacific Northwest annually, and more than 1,000 earthquakes occur in Washington alone. Overall, at least 20 damaging earthquakes have occurred in the last 125 years, but there is a 1/3 chance for another anytime in the next 50 years. 

In past, geological evidence indicates magnitudes of 7 or greater along shallow crustal faults in the urban areas of the Puget Sound. As a Bellevue College student, the fault zones to be aware of are the Seattle and Rattlesnake Mountain fault zones. While the most recent earthquake in the Seattle Fault Zone was about 1,1000 years, there is still a 40-80% chance of an earthquake in the next 50 years in Washington as a whole, and in the King County specifically, it is one of the most hazardous regions according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. 

Now that you may be grasping the importance of the Great Washington Shakeout, here is how you can prepare yourself for when an earthquake strikes. In the event of the shakeout or an earthquake, “drop to the ground…Take cover by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it until the shaking stops” quote the Great Washington Shakeout. If inside, it is better to stay where you are and take cover under sturdy furniture. If outside, go to a clear area without any buildings, trees, streetlights, and powerlines. If in a car, pull off to a clear area, stop the car, and keep your seatbelt tightly fastened. Before the earthquake hits, know the following information: possible hazards, an emergency plan, an emergency kit with at least 2 weeks of supplies, and a way to contact your neighbors. Hazards to be aware of are damaged structures, like bridges and building, landslides and rockfalls, and lowering of ground surfaces. Earthquakes themselves are commonly not the actual cause of injuries and death but rather the collapsing walls and roofs, flying glass, and falling objects per the Great WA Shakeout. 

It is important to practice and be prepared for natural disasters so that way, when faced with one, you know what to do in the panic.