Reminder: Earthquake Drill Thursday

The first Great Southeast ShakeOut, an earthquake drill across the mid-Atlantic region, is set for 10:18 a.m. Thursday. 

More than 1.4 million people across the Southeast United States and elsewhere are registered to participate. More than 106,707 Washington, D.C residents are participating.

"Learning from what we face every day, even from the unpredictibale that the Mineral, Va. earthquake represented allow us to be better prepared communities," said David Miller, the associate administrator for the Federal Insurance and Mitigation Division at FEMA, at a press conference in August.

D.C. residents are joining people in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia in the drill. The 2011 earthquake shook all of those areas. 

There is still time to sign up for the drill at www.shakeout.org/southeast. Once registered, participants will receive information on how to plan their drill and how to engage communities to become better prepared for earthquakes and disasters.

Earthquake Safety

The recommended course of action during any earthquake is drop, cover and hold on. Most earthquake-related injuries are sustained from falling objects.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) also has tips for individuals and families and tips for businesses and other organizations.