We're Pacific NW U.S. earthquake experts ready to talk about tsunamis, earthquake early warning and more

[u/WaQuakePrepare]

EDIT: We are pretty much done! Thanks everyone for the great questions. We have some folks that could check in later if we didn’t get to your question or if you discover us later today but the answers won’t be right away. Remember no matter where you are, we invite you to drop, cover and hold on at 10:20 am Thursday. Learn more at shakeout.org

Oct. 20 is the Great ShakeOut, where millions of people across the country practice earthquake safety and drop, cover and hold on under a sturdy object. Today, we have experts in Washington state and Oregon talking about ShakeOut, earthquakes and we can even touch on Pacific Northwest volcanoes. For instance, did you now it’s possible to now get a warning on your phone before an earthquake strikes? It’s called the ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning System.

We are a team with a variety of expertise particularly in the Pacific Northwest including: earthquakes (science/physics, monitoring, protective actions, preparedness), tsunamis (tsunami safety, hazards, modeling, preparedness, and recovery), structural engineering/building performance and emergency preparedness.

PROOF HERE. More proof here.

From Washington Emergency Management Division:

Brian Terbush

Elyssa Tappero

Mark Pierepiekarz, P.E., S.E.

Hollie Stark

Dante DiSabatino

From Pacific Northwest Seismic Network:

Bill Steele

Dr. Renate Hartog

Dr. Alex Hutko

From Washington Department of Natural Resources (Washington Geological Survey):

Corina Allen

Daniel Eungard

From Simpson Strong-Tie (Structural Products and Solutions including Earthquake Retrofits):

Emory Montague, S.E.

From Oregon Office of Emergency Management:

Althea Rizzo

[u/GroupFunInBed]

Thanks. Im surprised to hear that because the professor that taught me was, IIRC, a fairly prominent person in the world of earthquake research & safety, at least at the time. I recall him showing a video or something of the sort that was explicitly stating NOT to go under desks because it causes people to get crush, regardless of how sturdy it was (the sturdiest of desks is not going to hold up a roof falling through.

I may be misremembering some part of it, but thanks for clarifying - given the sources you cited it seems that must be the case!

[u/WaQuakePrepare → u/GroupFunInBed]

If you can't tell from some of our other answers, there are some very... strongly opinionated camps... when it comes to what's best to do during ground shaking. ;) But that's why we share sources!

- Elyssa

[u/bajajoaquin → u/GroupFunInBed]

If it was sourced from the guy who used Mexico City as a case study, I think he was discredited later.

[u/-donethat → u/GroupFunInBed]

I once heard that an interior wall doorway provided good protection if there is not time to exit the structure. There is a beam or header above the doorway.

On multi story apartments however the lower floor has been known to pan cake completely.