Great Hawaii ShakeOut scheduled for Thursday

The annual Great Hawaii ShakeOut is happening Thursday, and the state is looking for more people to join in the international earthquake preparedness drill.

More than 24,000 people have signed up so far for the event, which occurs simultaneously across each time zone, according to the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. In Hawaii the drill is scheduled for 10:20 a.m. Thursday.

Friday’s magnitude-5.0 temblor near Pahala was a reminder that Hawaii experiences more hazards than hurricanes and tsunamis.

And while Hawaii island, with its active volcanoes, remains the most vulnerable to earthquake damage, 2021’s updated Seismic Hazard Model for the State of Hawaii indicated that the entire island chain is at risk. The study noted that urban Honolulu and much of East and Windward Oahu have a 50% to 75% chance of experiencing damaging levels of shaking from an earthquake over the next 100 years.

Thursday’s drill aims to raise awareness about earthquake safety, encouraging everyone to practice the three safety steps — drop, cover, hold on — during a simulated earthquake at their workplace, school or home.

“We may only have seconds to protect ourselves when an earthquake happens,” HI-EMA Administrator Luke Meyers said in a news release.

“Much of the danger comes from debris and falling objects, not the shaking of the earthquake alone. Practicing how to respond when a quake strike helps us stay safe,” Meyers said.

For more information and to register to participate, visit shakeout.org/hawaii/index.