Triple-I: Oct. 21’s ShakeOut Offers an Essential Readiness Reminder

For immediate release
Contact: Janet Ruiz, Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), 707-490-9365, janetr@iii.org

HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif., Oct. 19, 2021—Conducted annually on the third Thursday of October, International ShakeOut Day is being held this year on Thursday, Oct. 21, at 10:21 a.m. local time, according to the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I).

“The ShakeOut is a self-led drill which guides people on how to protect themselves in the event of an earthquake,” said Janet Ruiz, the Triple-I’s California-based Director, Strategic Communication. “Drop, cover, and hold on, are the three things to keep in mind.”

Emergency professionals counsel people to drop onto their hands and knees as soon as a quake first strikes. Individuals should then cover their head and neck while seeking shelter under either a table or a desk. Once able to grab a sturdy structure, people ought to hold on until the shaking stops. ShakeOut.org’s website offers information on how to plan a drill and become better prepared for an earthquake.

To give reporters a broadcast recording opportunity before the International ShakeOut occurs, the Triple-I’s Ruiz will be at Ready America, 26062 Eden Landing Road, Hayward, Calif, on Wednesday, Oct. 20, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. PDT, along with Trevyn Reese, Director of Business Development, Ready America, and Jennifer Strauss, Ph.D., External Relations Officer, Berkeley Seismology Lab and Product Manager, MyShake App. The MyShake App sends a warning to mobile phone users that seismic activity is about to occur. 

The three subject matter experts will offer the media a tour of a mobile earthquake simulator, whose interior is set up like a living room and illustrates how temblors cause extensive property damage as items fall off shelves. They will then show how a person’s ability to “drop, cover, and hold on” provides essential protection in the moments after a quake starts.

Coverage for earthquake-caused property damage is available as either a separate insurance policy for homeowners, renters, and business owners or as an endorsement to an existing policy. An endorsement, sometimes called a rider, is a written form attached to an existing insurance policy that alters the policy’s coverage, terms, or conditions.

Earthquake-caused property damage is not covered under standard homeowners, renters, and business insurance policies. Yet these same policies may provide coverage for earthquake-related losses, such as those resulting either from a fire or water damage due to burst gas lines and water pipes.

RELATED LINKS:

Article: Earthquake Insurance for Homeowners
Facts and Statistics: Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Video: Do You Know How To Protect Yourself When An Earthquake Strikes?     

The Triple-I has a full library of educational videos on its YouTube Channel. Information about Triple-I mobile apps can be found here.