Tsunami warning to sound on Thursday October 19, 2023 as part of the Great Washington ShakeOut drill

On Thursday October 19, 2023 at approximately 10:19am, all 120+ coastal #tsunami sirens will sound, with the "Wail" sound, as part of the Great Washington #ShakeOut drill.

This is a test so you know what they'll actually sound like an an emergency.

The question here is whether you will hear anything at all. There is an emergency siren in Hamlin Park. In the last drill most people couldn't hear it and those who did were just puzzled.

This is also the time to look around your environment and find the safest place to be in an earthquake. Stay away from windows, and things in your house that could fall on you. Grab your phone in case you need to call for help.. 

In the office beware of desk drawers and file cabinets. In the Nisqually quake the file drawers and desk drawers in my workplace were slamming open and closed. The frames that hold acoustic tiles can twist, allowing the light fixtures to fall and swing by their cords. 

Anything hanging - plants, light fixtures - may be swinging back and forth.

How close are you to sea level? An upthrust quake on the floor of Puget Sound would create a local tsunami that would swamp areas like Lake Forest Park Town Center, Sheridan Beach, downtown Kenmore.

Washington Emergency Services is still telling people to get under a desk. Ok if it's a heavy metal or wood desk but anything flimsier can collapse on you. As I recall, the information after the last quake was that it was safer to be next to the desk rather than under it.

Just think, people in other parts of the U.S. deal with multiple hurricanes every year. We just have the occasional earthquake and volcanic eruption.

--Diane Hettrick