Great ShakeOut 2026: Get Ready for the International Earthquake Drill

Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach Department of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Communications encourages residents to participate in the annual Great ShakeOut, the world's largest earthquake drill, on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. Originating in Southern California in 2008 as the "Great California ShakeOut," this earthquake safety drill has since gained international attention with more than 60 million participants worldwide last year.

To participate in the self-led Great ShakeOut Drill, residents are encouraged to register online and practice these three steps to reduce their risk of injury in an earthquake:

• DROP where you are (if able to), onto your hands and knees; this position protects you from being knocked down.

• COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand and, if possible, crawl under a sturdy table or desk for shelter.

• HOLD ON until the shaking stops.

Older adults and people with disabilities or limited mobility are encouraged to review these Earthquake Safety Accessibility Tips for guidance before, during and after an earthquake. Additional educational resources to help community members coordinate their participation in the Great ShakeOut at school, work or home are available at EarthquakeCountry.org.

In the hours leading up to the Great ShakeOut drill, Disaster Preparedness staff will conduct a test of the Alert Long Beach emergency messaging system directed towards non-public safety city employees to highlight their role as Disaster Service Workers, who provide assistance to residents during disasters. City personnel will receive a test notification via phone, text and/or email.

In addition to participating in the Great ShakeOut, the city is encouraging the public to let the day serve as an important reminder to take additional precautionary steps to prepare for any type of disaster with the following helpful tips:

• Stay alert. Sign up for Alert Long Beach to receive emergency notifications from the city via phone, text or email.

• Learn. Residents should learn basic emergency medical procedures, take a CPR class.

• Prepare a go-bag. Residents should have a go-bag next to their beds or an easily accessible location, should the need to quickly evacuate arise. The bag should contain essential items for individuals and their family members (including pets) to be self-sustaining for up to five days.

• Get informed. The City's webpage at longbeach.gov/emergency serves as a centralized communications and resource hub for community members during emergencies. Residents should also follow the city on social media @LongBeachCity.

• Know your hazards. Review the City's Hazard Mitigation webpage, which includes information about earthquakes and other hazards that can impact Long Beach, as well the adopted Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan, and visit My Hazards to find out what specific hazards impact your place of work or home.

Residents can also sign up to receive earthquake early warning notifications for earthquakes of 4.5 magnitude or higher in areas of light shaking or greater by downloading the MyShake app. This service utilizes state-of-the art ground motion monitoring to deliver warnings via cell phone, which can provide critical seconds to take precautionary measures before the strongest shaking starts, depending on proximity to the epicenter.

Additional information on earthquakes and other disaster preparedness topics can be found on the Disaster Preparedness website at longbeach.gov/disasterpreparedness and by following @LBDisasterPrep on Facebook and Instagram.