Bracing for the Great Shakeout
Video by Christina Cameron
On Thursday, October 16, USC will join institutions across California and participate in the Great California ShakeOut drill.
At 10:16 a.m., all students and faculty members will be encouraged to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" for sixty seconds.
The "Trojan ShakeOut Drill" is one of several efforts on behalf of USC to prepare for what seismologists have predicted is a long-overdue earthquake in Southern California.
Doctor Anders E. Carlson says USC has also "retrofitted many buildings, either in a hidden way or ones where it is more obvious where you see the new braces on buildings."
Trojan ShakeOut Ambassadors will be assisting in the "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" drills in buildings across the campus.
Doctor Lucy Jones of the US Geological Survey, who advises Mayor Garcetti's on seismic safety, says it is important to be prepared before an earthquake occurs.
"The main preparation is to be really aware. Look around your space," she says, "Do what we call a 'hazard hunt.' Look for the things that are going to fall down and look for ways you can secure them."
