The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) encourages people across the state to take part in the Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill, scheduled at 10:17 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 17.

In 1997, the U.S. Geological Survey and FEMA reclassified Delaware’s risk category for seismic activity from low to medium. In November 2017, a 4.1 earthquake was centered in the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge near Dover.

Participation in the Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill is simple and takes just a few moments. At 10:17 a.m. on Oct. 17, DEMA is asking everyone to join in an earthquake preparedness drill:

• DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you)
• Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table
• HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops

Participation that day can range from a talk/email about earthquake safety all the way up to conducting a full exercise or drill. Most are just taking 30 seconds or so, wherever they are, and practicing “drop, cover, hold on.” It’s a great time to take a look around your desk or office to see if anything may fall during an earthquake as well.

Go to http://shakeout.org/register/ to register your family, school, business or organization in the drill. Last year, there were more than 11,350 participants. DEMA has a goal to beat that number this year.

Registered participants will receive information on how to plan a drill and how to create a dialogue with others about earthquake preparedness. It takes less than five-minute and could save a life.

For more information, visit http://ShakeOut.org/southeast.