WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. – If you hear tsunami sirens blaring this morning, you don’t need to run for the hills.
John Gargett with Whatcom Emergency Management says the tenth annual Great Shakeout will go off at 10:21 am on Thursday, October 21st.
“All the tsunami sirens will sound for one to two minutes with the actual siren sound,” says Gargett. “Of course, that causes a lot of people to wonder what’s going on if they haven’t read the newspaper or listened to KGMI. So we always try to get the word out that that’s going to happen.”
You’re encouraged to “drop, cover and hold” to practice for potential earthquakes.
You can register to take part in the drill online and organizers are encouraging people to post pictures of themselves under desks, or using other proper earthquake protection techniques, on social media with the hashtag #ShakeOut.
The Sheriff’s office is urging people NOT to call 9-1-1 during the test.
You can listen to a full interview about the drill with Tsunami Program Coordinator Elyssa Tappero on our Podcast page.
You can also find more information at the Great ShakeOut’s website.