Great Southeast ShakeOut Earthquake Drill, Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m.

October 15, 2024 / General NOVA News

As we experienced on August 23, 2011, you could be anywhere when an earthquake strikes: at home, at work, at school or even on vacation. On Thursday, October 17, at 10:17 a.m., NOVA will participate in The Great SouthEast ShakeOut Regional Earthquake Drill. This is an opportunity to practice how to protect yourself and for everyone to become prepared. To respond quickly and effectively, you must practice often. You may have only seconds to protect yourself in an earthquake before strong shaking knocks you down or something falls on you.

What do I do?
At 10:17 a.m. on October 17 (Get it? 10:17 on 10/17?), an announcement will be made using the intercom telephone system and display panels; this is the start of the drill. Once the announcement is made, you should DROP, COVER and HOLD ON!

The timeline will be as follows:

10:17 a.m.: An announcement will be made that the drill has begun: “This is the start of the Regional Earthquake Drill, please DROP, COVER and HOLD ON!” 

 At this time, you should:

  • DROP: Wherever you are, drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy. If you’re using a wheelchair or walker with a seat, make sure your wheels are locked and remain seated until the shaking stops.
  • COVER: Cover your head and neck with your arms. If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter. If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows). Crawl only if you can reach better cover without going through an area with more debris. Stay on your knees or bent over to protect vital organs.
  • HOLD ON: If you are under a table or desk, hold on with one hand and be ready to move with it if it moves. If seated and unable to drop to the floor, bend forward, cover your head with your arms and hold onto your neck with both hands.

If you use a cane: DROP, COVER and HOLD ON or sit on a chair, bed, etc., and cover your head and neck with both hands. Keep your cane near you so it can be used when the shaking stops.

Icons illustrating DROP! (a man with a cane bending to his knees); cover (a man with a cane covering his head; hold on (a man with a cane taking shelter under a table to protect himself from falling debris.


If you use a walker or wheelchair: LOCK your wheels (if applicable). If using a walker, carefully get as low as possible. Bend over and COVER your head/neck with your arms, a book or a pillow. Then HOLD ON until the shaking stops.

Icons illustrating LOCK! (a man with a walker locking his wheels; cover (a man with a walker bending at the waist and covering his head to protect himself from falling debris; hold on (a man with a walker protecting his head from falling debris.

Icons illustrating LOCK! (a man with a wheel chair locking his wheels; cover (a man with a wheel chair bending at the waist and covering his head to protect himself from falling debris; hold on (a man with a wheel chair protecting his head from falling debris.


10:25 a.m.: An announcement will be made that the earthquake drill is over: “The earthquake drill is over, please evacuate your building.” At this time, evacuate the building and report to your exterior assembly area. Individuals who are mobility challenged and unable to exit the building should proceed to an area of assistance. Review NOVA’s Emergency Action Plan for more information.

10:35 a.m.: NO announcement will be made when the drill has officially concluded. You should re-enter your building and resume your activities.

For further recommended earthquake safety actions, including accessibility recommendations and resources, see Earthquake Safety.

Submitted by:
David Cook, Director of OEMS, DCook@nvcc.edu