Earthquake preparedness
Great ShakeOut 2026: Drop, Cover and Hold On
The Great ShakeOut is a yearly earthquake drill in which millions of people practise what to do when the ground starts shaking. This year's ShakeOut Day is Thursday 15 October 2026 (in 5 days). Below: the protective action to practise, how to adapt it, what not to do, and a checklist to prepare your home.
Official drill information and free registration: shakeout.org. This page is an independent summary by SeismoAtlas and is not affiliated with the ShakeOut organisers.
- ShakeOut Day
- 15 Oct
- Thursday, 2026
- Countdown
- 5
- days to go
Drop, Cover and Hold On
In most situations, as soon as you feel shaking or receive an earthquake alert, do not wait to see whether it gets stronger:
- 1
Drop
Get down onto your hands and knees where you are. This keeps you from being knocked over and lets you crawl to shelter.
- 2
Cover
Cover your head and neck with one arm. Crawl under a sturdy table or desk if one is close; otherwise get next to an interior wall, away from windows, and stay low.
- 3
Hold on
Under shelter, hold on to it with one hand and be ready to move with it. Without shelter, hold your head and neck with both arms until the shaking stops.
Adapt it to where you are
- In bed: stay there and cover your head and neck with a pillow until the shaking stops.
- Using a wheelchair or walker: Lock, Cover and Hold On. Lock the wheels, bend over as low as you safely can and cover your head and neck with your arms, a book or a pillow.
- Using a cane, or unable to get up from the floor: sit on a chair or bed and cover your head and neck; keep your cane within reach.
- Outdoors: move a few steps to an open area away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines if you can, then drop, cover and hold on.
- Driving: pull over to a clear spot away from bridges, overpasses and power lines, stop, set the parking brake and stay inside with your seatbelt on until the shaking stops.
- In a theatre or stadium: stay in your seat, bend over and protect your head and neck with your arms.
- Near the coast: drop, cover and hold on; if the shaking was strong or lasted a long time, walk to high ground or inland as soon as it stops. A tsunami can arrive within minutes, before any official warning.
What not to do
- Do not run outside during the shaking: most injuries happen to people moving around, from falls and from glass and debris near exterior walls.
- Do not stand in a doorway. In modern buildings it is no safer than anywhere else, and the door can swing and injure you.
- Do not use lifts (elevators) during or straight after an earthquake.
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How to run a ShakeOut drill
- Register for free at shakeout.org (optional) and pick a time on 15 October, or another day that suits you.
- At that time, announce that strong shaking has started. Everyone drops, takes cover and holds on for about a minute.
- While holding on, look around: what could fall, slide or break near you? Make a note to secure it.
- Afterwards, talk through the next steps: checking for injuries, which exits to use, where to meet, and who would turn off the gas if needed.
- Pick one or two items from the checklist below and do them the same week.
On the US West Coast, the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system can send alerts to phones in California, Oregon and Washington seconds before strong shaking arrives. Treat an alert as the signal to Drop, Cover and Hold On.
Earthquake preparedness checklist
Based on the “Seven Steps to Earthquake Safety” promoted by the ShakeOut organisers and on federal preparedness guidance. Tick items off as you go.
Ticks are saved only in this browser.
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Questions
When is the Great ShakeOut 2026?
ShakeOut Day 2026 is Thursday 15 October 2026, the third Thursday of October. Most official ShakeOut regions take part on that day; schools and workplaces can also hold their drill on another day that suits them.
Do I have to register?
No. Registration at shakeout.org is free and optional. It lets organisers count participants and gives you access to drill manuals and materials, but anyone can practise Drop, Cover and Hold On at home, at work or at school.
Should I stand in a doorway or run outside?
No. In modern houses doorways are no stronger than other parts of the building and the door can swing into you. Running during shaking risks falls and being hit by glass and debris near exterior walls. Drop where you are, take cover and hold on until the shaking stops.
What about the "triangle of life"?
Emergency management agencies and the ShakeOut organisers do not recommend it. It assumes you can predict how a building will collapse and move to the right spot while the floor is shaking, which is rarely possible. Drop, Cover and Hold On protects against the most common injuries, from falling and flying objects.
How long should a drill last?
Hold the Drop, Cover and Hold On position for about a minute, roughly as long as strong shaking can last in a large earthquake. Then use a few minutes to talk through what you would do next: check for injuries and hazards, and decide whether to leave the building.
Can earthquakes be predicted?
No. No method predicts the time, place and size of a specific earthquake. Early warning systems such as ShakeAlert detect an earthquake that has already started and can give seconds of warning before strong shaking arrives, which is enough time to Drop, Cover and Hold On.
Sources: ShakeOut: Drop, Cover, and Hold On · Earthquake Country Alliance: Seven Steps · Ready.gov: Earthquakes · tsunami.gov