Every October is International ShakeOut Day, when millions of people worldwide participate in earthquake drills at work, school, or home. The Great California ShakeOut provides an annual opportunity to practice how to be safer during big earthquakes.
You may have only seconds to take action and protect yourself and practicing helps you be ready to respond quickly. At 10:19 a.m. on10/19, millions of people across California practiced important drills like Drop,Cover and Hold On. The day also serves to encourage all Californians to review and update emergency preparedness plans and supplies, and to secure their property in order to prevent damage and injuries.
The California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP) is encouraging residents in earthquake-prone areas to make sure their homes are protected – especially if they were built prior to 1980.
CRMP’s Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) Program provides grants of up to $3,000 to retrofit qualifying pre-1980 homes. Supplemental Grant funding is also available for income-eligible residents (annual income at or below $72,080), which could cover up to 100 percent of the cost!
EBB aims to help homeowners lessen the potential for damage to their houses during an earthquake by “bracing” the crawl space, when necessary, and “bolting” the foundation to the house’s frame.
Registration for EBB Program is currently closed. Please Sign Up to receive updates from EBB, such as when registration is open or when the program has expanded to new areas of California. [Zip Code 94131 is currently included in the program.]
California is home to two-thirds of our nation’s earthquake risk, and most of us live
within 30 miles of an active fault. Because of that risk, it’s more important than ever
that residents of the Golden State take steps to be prepared and protect their property before disaster strikes.
California is earthquake country, accounting for two-thirds of our nation’s total earthquake risk. In total, the Golden State experiences more than 10,000 earthquakes each year. And while many are smaller in magnitude, over the years there have been many historical earthquakes that are still talked about today. They serve as a reminder of why it’s important to always do what you can to be prepared.
The following is a list of notable earthquakes in October:
October 1, 1987 – a magnitude 5.9 earthquake occurred in Whittier Narrows (near
Pasadena)
October 15, 1979 – a magnitude 6.4 earthquake occurred in Imperial Valley
October 16, 1999 – a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred in Hector Mine (Mojave
Desert)
October 17, 1989 – a magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred in San Francisco
October 21, 1942 – a magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurred in Fish Creek Mountains
(Imperial County)
October 21, 1868 – a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurred in Hayward
October 30, 2007 – a magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred in Alum Rock (near San
Jose)
About the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP)
CRMP was established in 2011 to help Californians strengthen their homes against damage from earthquakes. CRMP is a joint powers authority created by the California Earthquake Authority and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. To sign up to be notified when the EBB program reopens, please visit
https://www.earthquakebracebolt.com/Sign-Up/signup
