Great ShakeOut: 30 Years Since Loma Prieta Earthquake

The closed Embarcadero Skyway in the days following the Loma Prieta Earthquake. (SFMTA Photo Archive, October 30, 1989)

In addition to the Oct. 17 Loma Prieta observance, this Thursday is the time for the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills when people throughout San Francisco and the Bay Area will practice how to Drop, Cover and Hold On.

Like most emergencies, you don't know they are going to occur until they do. Participating is a great way to be prepared to survive and recover quickly from big earthquakes – wherever you live, work or travel.

Take time to practice Drop, Cover and Hold On this Thursday, Oct. 17, at 10:17 a.m.

How likely is an earthquake here?

Aside from the series of recent earthquakes felt throughout the Bay Area this past week, Thursday marks the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. That event killed 63 people, injured more than 3,000, and caused more than $7 billion in damage. Many still living in the area remember all too well the destruction done when the 6.9 magnitude earthquake unexpectedly rocked San Francisco for 15-seconds shortly after 5 p.m.

To learn about our exposure, check out the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps. These maps help us understand where future earthquakes may occur, how often and how hard the ground will likely shake as a result. The United States Geological Survey, more commonly referred to as the USGS, is behind the ShakeOut which began in southern California in 2008 and has since spread.

General Emergency Preparedness

It is never too early to get yourself prepared for an emergency, so why not start now? For more information on emergency preparedness please visit the federal government's Ready.gov and the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management's SF72.org.