Old Dominion University students, faculty, and staff will have an opportunity on Thursday, Oct. 17 to learn more about earthquake safety and participate in a simultaneous multistate drill, "The Great Southeast ShakeOut."

The drill will be held Thursday at 10:17 a.m. ODU will conduct its regular semiannual test of its Emergency Notification System (ODU Alerts) at that time.

Official notifications during the approximately 10-minute drill may be transmitted through outdoor loudspeakers (Norfolk main campus only), text messaging, desktop computer alerts, student/faculty/staff email, and the ODU website. Note that outdoor loudspeaker notifications are intended to inform people outdoors only; this system is not intended to penetrate building walls.

In the event of inclement weather or an actual emergency, the drill will be postponed to the same time on the next fair-weather business day.

Students, faculty, and staff who have not already signed up to receive alerts should visit the ODU Alerts website at www.odu.edu/alerts to register for the free service.

During the drill, participants will practice the "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" maxim, which instructs those caught in an earthquake to drop to the ground, take cover in a sturdy table or desk if possible, and hold on until the shaking stops.

During an earthquake, a natural instinct may be to run outside, but this is dangerous and can severely compromise safety because the ground is moving and injuries could result from falling or being hit by dislodged bricks, glass, and other building materials.

The "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" procedure is considered the best response to an earthquake in the United States, according to the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.

Over 762,000 Virginians, including more than 69,000 in higher education and over 23,000 in state government, have registered for the 2024 Great Southeast ShakeOut.

Virginia began participating in the multistate drill in 2012, about a year after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck in Mineral, a small community in the central part of the state. Nearly 4,500 individuals and businesses were affected by that earthquake, and the iconic Washington Monument was damaged and subsequently closed for several years for repairs that cost $15 million.

For more information on earthquake safety, visit www.odu.edu/emergency or www.shakeout.org/southeast. Questions should be directed to ODU Emergency Management at oem@odu.edu or 757-683-5116.