Nearly 55K Participants for the 2023 Great Guam ShakeOut

Guam participated in the world’s largest earthquake drill, the Great ShakeOut on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at 10:19 a.m. (ChST). Participants practiced the earthquake response procedure; “Drop, Cover and Hold On” from wherever they were, for one minute.

The Offices of Guam Homeland Security and Civil Defense (GHS/OCD) coordinated with various groups, agencies, and schools for a total of 54,922 registered participants for Guam, with nearly 41K from K-12 schools, alone. The drill encouraged all residents to increase earthquake preparedness and response by practicing how to protect themselves during an earthquake and how to ensure an earthquake disaster does not become a catastrophe. The ShakeOut participation provided the opportunity to evaluate emergency plans, increase awareness of earthquake safety, and improve resiliency within the community.

“GHS/OCD extends our heartfelt ‘Thank You’ to the entire island for their participation in this year’s Great Guam ShakeOut,” said Esther Aguigui, Guam Homeland Security Advisor. “Your commitment to building a safer and more resilient community is seen and appreciated. We look forward to continuing preparedness efforts for not only natural, but human-caused threats as well.”

For more information on the Great Guam ShakeOut, as well as useful resources such as drill manuals, tips on earthquake safety, and others for developing a disaster plan, visit https://www.shakeout.org/guam/.

X Flooding is a temporary overflowing of water onto land that is normally dry. Flooding may happen with only a few inches of water, or it may cover a house to the rooftop. There are many possible causes of floods including heavy rain, coastal storms and storm surge, waterway overflow from being blocked with debris, or overflow of levees, dams, or waste water systems. Flooding can occur slowly over many days or happen very quickly with little or no warning, called flash floods.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/floods

Wildfire

Regularly clean the roof and gutters.
Maintain an area approximately 30’ away from you home that is free of anything that will burn, such as wood piles, dried leaves, newspapers and other brush.
Connect garden hoses long enough to reach any area of the home and fill garbage cans, tubs, or other large containers with water.
Review your homeowner's insurance policy and also prepare/update a list of your home's contents.

Fire Weather

Turn on your TV/radio. You’ll get the latest weather updates and emergency instructions.
Know where to go. If you are ordered to evacuate, know the route to take and have plan of where you will go. Check-in with your friends and family.
Keep your car fueled, in good condition, and stocked with emergency supplies and a change of clothes.

Drought

Conserve water

Take shorter showers.

Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
Run the washer less frequently and only when you have a full load.
Water your lawn less frequently and do so when the temperature is cooler in the early morning or late evening.
When you run the tap to heat or cool water, keep a pitcher to store the water and use it to water plants.
Avoid washing your car.

Practice fire prevention

Don't set off fireworks when conditions are dry.
Deposit cigarette butts in the proper receptacle to avoid starting a
Pour water over camp fires and backyard fire pits to ensure they are completely out before leaving them unattended.

Follow directions from local officials. If there are restrictions on water usage, be sure to heed them.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/wildfires and https://www.ready.gov/drought

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Typhoons/Hurricanes are massive storm systems that form over the water and move toward land. Threats from typhoons/hurricanes include high winds, heavy rainfall, storm surge, coastal and inland flooding, and rip currents.

“Hurricanes” form in the Atlantic Northeast Pacific region and “Typhoons” form in the Northwest Pacific Region. These large storms are call cyclones in other parts of the world.

To learn more, visit https://www.ready.gov/hurricanes.