Great ShakeOut 2026: Oct 15 at 10:15 a.m. and What to Do

Science · By SpikeToday · Oct 10, 2026, 19:33 UTC

The Great ShakeOut earthquake drill is on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. local time. Wherever you are at that moment, at school, at work or at home, you practise what to do in an earthquake: Drop, Cover and Hold On. The drill began in California in 2008, and organizers in British Columbia say more than 60 million people take part worldwide (San Bernardino County OES, ShakeOut BC).

At 10:15 a.m.: Drop, Cover and Hold On

The official ShakeOut steps, from shakeout.org:

1. Drop where you are, onto your hands and knees. This stops you being knocked over and lowers your chance of being hit by falling objects.
2. Cover your head and neck with one arm and hand. If there's a sturdy table or desk nearby, crawl under it. If not, crawl next to an interior wall and stay on your knees, bent over to protect your vital organs.
3. Hold on until the shaking stops. Under a table, hold on to it with one hand and be ready to move with it. With no shelter, hold your head and neck with both arms.

If you use a cane, walker or wheelchair: sit or stay seated, lock your wheels if you have them, bend over and cover your head and neck with your arms, a book or a pillow, then hold on.

What not to do

• Don't stand in a doorway. In modern houses and buildings, doorways are no safer than anywhere else, and they don't protect you from falling or flying objects.
• Don't run outside. The ground is moving, and glass, bricks and other parts of buildings can fall. You're safer staying inside under a table.
• Don't follow the "triangle of life". ShakeOut's organizers say this widely shared advice has been discredited by experts.

The reason, according to shakeout.org: in US earthquakes over recent decades, people were much more likely to be hurt by falling or flying objects such as TVs, lamps, glass and bookcases than by a collapsing building.

When is 10:15 where you are?

The drill happens at 10:15 a.m. in each time zone, so it rolls across North America over six hours:

Shakeout.org says all official regions take part on October 15, 2026, unless their region page says otherwise. Its regions include California, Oregon, Washington, the Central, Northeast and Southeast US, British Columbia, Yukon, Quebec and Eastern Ontario, Japan and New Zealand, among others. Check your region's page if you're outside North America.

How to take part

• Register (optional): families, schools, workplaces and groups can sign up free at shakeout.org and be counted. You don't have to register to do the drill.
• Pick another day if you need to. Shakeout.org says you can register a drill for any day of the year, at a time of your choice, and many schools run it on their own schedule.
• Make it a real practice: after the drill, look around and note what could fall on you, like shelves, mirrors or a TV, and plan to secure it.
• Schools: the California Department of Education says most of the state's schools will take part on October 15, though drills can be held on another day if needed (CDE). Elsewhere, your school or district will tell you its plan.

Quick answers

What time is the Great ShakeOut 2026?

10:15 a.m. local time on Thursday, October 15, 2026.

Do I have to register?

No. Registering at shakeout.org is free and adds you to the count, but anyone can do the drill without it.

Is there an alarm or a phone alert?

The drill doesn't depend on one. Schools and workplaces usually start it with an announcement, a bell or a whistle. Check your region's ShakeOut page for any local broadcasts or test alerts.

Should I go outside during an earthquake?

No. ShakeOut's guidance is to stay where you are and Drop, Cover and Hold On; running outside is more dangerous.

Is the doorway the safest place?

No. Shakeout.org says the idea comes from an early photo of a collapsed adobe house with only the door frame standing. In modern buildings, a sturdy table is better.