Clark County prepared to ‘drop, cover and hold on’ as part of earthquake drill

Monday, Oct. 15, 2012 | 3:04 p.m.

Students, government employees and hundreds of thousands of other Clark County residents will “Drop, cover and hold on” Thursday as part of a worldwide earthquake-preparedness drill.

More than 350,000 people in Clark County have registered to participate in the Great Nevada ShakeOut. At 10:18 a.m. Thursday, participants are encouraged to act as they would during a real earthquake by dropping to the ground, finding a sturdy desk or table to cover themselves with and holding on until the shaking stops.

All Clark County School District schools, as well as employees for all local government municipalities, will participate in the drill. Businesses, churches, families and community groups also are encouraged to participate. Resources for planning an earthquake drill can be found online.

"Knowing what to do when the floor starts moving will save lives, and the very small amount of time spent participating in drills will make a difference in an emergency situation,” CCSD Associate Superintendent Paul Gerner said in a statement.

Nevada is among the most seismically active states in the country, and although most of the activity is in the central and northwestern parts of the state, a large earthquake could still strike Las Vegas, causing hundreds of deaths and billions of dollars in damage.