The Great ShakeOut earthquake drill

The Great ShakeOut is the world's largest earthquake drill — millions of people, all practicing the same three moves at the same moment. This year it's Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 10:15 AM. It happens every year, on the third Thursday of October.

For us, it's a natural fit: emergency radio communication is exactly what a real earthquake would call for, so we're planning to run a net around the drill. Watch the Announcements and Emergencies & Alerts forums for the exact plan and time.

Drop, Cover, and Hold On

The recommended response to shaking, wherever you are:

• DROP where you are, onto your hands and knees. This keeps you from being knocked down and lets you crawl to shelter if it's nearby. Using a wheeled mobility device? Lock your wheels instead.
• COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand. Crawl under a sturdy table or desk if one's close; otherwise get next to an interior wall, away from windows.
• HOLD ON until the shaking stops. If you're under shelter, hold on with one hand and be ready to move with it if it shifts.

An accessible version for wheelchair users — Lock, Cover, and Hold On:

And for walker users:

Graphics courtesy of the Earthquake Country Alliance / ShakeOut.org. Drill narration script: source doc, free to copy — see the note at the top of the doc.

Earthquake safety guides in your language

The three steps are the same everywhere — here's the full safety guide in more than a dozen languages, in case that helps you, a neighbor, or family:

English · Español · Հայերեն (Armenian) · العربية (Arabic) · 中文 (Chinese) · हिन्दी (Hindi) · Hmoob (Hmong) · 日本語 (Japanese) · ខ្មែរ (Khmer) · 한국어 (Korean) · فارسی (Persian/Farsi) · ਪੰਜਾਬੀ (Punjabi) · Русский (Russian) · Tagalog · Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)

Our drill net

The full narration script we're planning to use on the net — and the discussion of timing — is in the forum: The Great American Shakeout is coming October 15, 2026. Net control reads the drill live, then takes check-ins: call sign, where you were, what you dropped and covered under.

After the drill — a few questions worth asking

ShakeOut's guidance for organizations running a group drill suggests a short discussion afterward. A few worth raising on the net once the shaking stops:

• What might fall or get thrown in your space during a real quake — and could you secure it now?
• If the power's out for days, how long do your phones last? Do you have a power bank? (See Powering your radio off the grid.)
• If you can't call or text, how would you reach your family? (See A simple family communication plan.)
• What's in your disaster kit — and what's missing?

Register our participation

ShakeOut counts participation by registered groups, not just individuals drilling on their own. Registering Bellingham GMRS at ShakeOut.org/register gets us counted in this year's official numbers.

More from ShakeOut.org

The full messaging and graphics library — more icons, banners, videos, and safety guides in English and Spanish — is at ShakeOut.org/messaging.