On October 20 at 10:20 a.m.—during second period—Colton High School will participate in The Great ShakeOut, a worldwide event encouraging people to do earthquake drills. 

During a drill that will last about an hour, students and faculty will experience a disaster simulation. 

Once the drill bell rings and administration gives direction, Colton students will duck and cover under desks to seek shelter and protect themselves as best they can. Once the all-clear signal is given, students will evacuate their buildings and walk to the softball field there will be a check-in to account for every student.

Colton administration uses the Great ShakeOut as more than just an earthquake drill. They combine the experience with a disaster drill to prepare for an unfortunate situation in which students or staff can be injured, or in the event of possible death.

Additionally, there is practice for what happens when parents need to pick up their children during a disaster or event requiring a lockdown.

Throughout the year, there will be practices to prepare students for a variety of tragic situations, from disaster to school shootings. All schools are mandated to have a disaster plan in place. At high schools, like Colton, where there are over 2,000 individuals, there is a requirement to have a disaster plan to make sure everyone is safe for normal situations and other unfortunate incidents.

The Great ShakeOut originated in Southern California in 2008 with the purpose of helping communities learn how to handle and prepare for the possibility of a large scale earthquake. Created by Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist from the California Institute of Technology, the Great ShakeOut now has over 53 million participants worldwide. Many schools, establishments, and businesses will also participate in this event. 

California is well-known for earthquake activity. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, Southern California alone experiences approximately 10,000 earthquakes a year. Most are small, under a magnitude of 3.0 on the Richter scale, and cannot be felt, however the California Department of Conservation reports that the state has 2-3 earthquakes each year over 5.5 in magnitude, which can cause structural damage to buildings and freeways. For more information and access to a real time earthquake map, check out CalTech’s data website.