The Great Shakeout is this Thursday, October 20

Submitted by Grays Harbor County Emergency Management

Tomorrow morning, Thursday October 20 at 10:20 a.m., millions of people across Washington State will be practicing earthquake safety and participating in the worldwide drill, The Great ShakeOut. For us in Grays Harbor County, many participants will also be practicing tsunami evacuation routes. As part of the tsunami portion of the drill, Washington State Emergency Management Division will be activating the All-Hazard Alert Broadcast (AHAB) sirens with the wailing sound.  If you work, live, or are near the coast at 10:20 a.m. on Thursday, you will hear an announcement in both English and Spanish followed by the wailing of the sirens. This is only a test.

To inform the public of tomorrow’s test, Grays Harbor County Emergency Management will be sending a scheduled Emergency Alert this afternoon. We encourage individuals to sign up for Grays Harbor County Emergency Alerts. If you do not receive an alert on your phone today, please visit the link below titled “Grays Harbor County Emergency Alerts: Sign Up – Smart911” and sign up to receive these important emergency alerts!

This year, Grays Harbor County Emergency Management is requesting and encouraging citizens to participate in The Great Shakeout drill by following Drop, Cover and Hold on procedures at 10:20 AM.  We also encourage every individual to have a conversation with your loved ones to develop a plan for when an emergency occurs.  Helpful information and resources can be found below!

If you have any questions on earthquake or tsunami safety, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office and we would be happy to chat with you.