On Thursday, October 15, millions of people at schools, offices and homes will drop to the floor at the same time. It’s the 2026 Great ShakeOut, an annual earthquake drill organized by the Statewide California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California.
Despite its California roots, the ShakeOut now runs across many U.S. states and territories, Canadian provinces and other countries, including Japan and New Zealand. In Missouri, for example, the drill is set for 10:15 a.m.
Who takes part
Participation is huge. In California alone, more than 10.4 million people took part in 2025, including more than 5.4 million K-12 students and staff, according to the California Department of Education.
Anyone can register — individuals, families, schools, businesses and community groups. The organizers say you can also register a drill for any other day of the year if October 15 doesn’t work, and groups in different places can join the same drill over video conferencing.
Schools are the backbone of the event. “Broad school participation helps inspire businesses, organizations, government agencies, and individuals statewide to also take part in practicing safety procedures,” the California Department of Education wrote in its letter to school leaders this year. The department also urges schools to practice in different places — cafeterias, recess areas and hallways between classes — because an earthquake won’t wait until everyone is seated at a desk.
Not just a West Coast concern
Earthquake risk isn’t limited to California. Missouri officials say the state has recorded 110 minor earthquakes so far in 2026, mostly in the Bootheel region. The nearby New Madrid Seismic Zone averages more than 200 small earthquakes a year.
“The ShakeOut drill is a great opportunity to practice three simple actions so you’ll know what to do when an earthquake occurs,” said Jim Remillard, director of Missouri’s State Emergency Management Agency. Officials there note that falling debris is the leading cause of earthquake-related injuries in modern buildings.
How to Drop, Cover, and Hold On
- Drop onto your hands and knees right away.
- Cover your head and neck with one arm. Get under a sturdy table or desk if one is nearby; if not, get down next to an interior wall.
- Hold On to your shelter with one hand and be ready to move with it. If you have no shelter, use both arms to protect your head and neck.
If you use a wheelchair, lock the wheels, bend forward and cover your head and neck. If you use a cane, you can drop, cover and hold on, or sit down and protect your head and neck with both hands, keeping the cane nearby. If you’re in bed, Ready.gov advises staying there and covering your head with a pillow. If you’re driving, pull over in a clear area away from hazards.
What not to do
- Don’t run outside. The shaking makes it easy to fall, and glass and bricks can come down from building exteriors.
- Don’t head for a doorway. In modern buildings, doorways are no stronger than other parts of the house and don’t protect you from falling objects.
- Ignore the “triangle of life.” ShakeOut organizers say this widely shared advice isn’t backed by experts and can be dangerous.
After the shaking stops
Ready.gov’s guidance for the minutes after a quake is just as important as the drill itself:
- Check yourself for injuries before helping others.
- Leave a damaged building and don’t go back inside.
- In a high-rise, avoid the elevators — and don’t be surprised if fire alarms or sprinklers go off.
- If you’re trapped, signal rescuers by texting, using a whistle or banging on a pipe.
- Follow local news on a battery-powered radio or through emergency alerts.
Prepare before the next real one
Ready.gov recommends a few steps that make a real difference:
- Secure TVs and objects hanging on walls.
- Keep a supply kit with at least three days of food and water, a flashlight, a whistle and batteries.
- Agree on a family communication plan, including an out-of-state contact.
- Check your insurance: standard homeowners policies generally don’t cover earthquake damage.
- Expect aftershocks, and if you live near the coast, move inland or to higher ground if there’s a tsunami risk.
Practicing now means your body already knows what to do when there’s no time to think.
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