Shake it Up with California's Biggest Earthquake Drill

Millions of people will "drop, cover and hold on" during a statewide earthquake simulation Thursday.

The Great California ShakeOut is an annual event that aims to raise awareness about how to prepare for a major quake. 

The ShakeOut begins at 10:18 a.m., when participants across the state practice what to do when an earthquake hits. More than 9 million people have registered to join the exercise so far, including 18,000 in Santa Cruz County. Find out who's participating here.

• County employees are taking part in the drill.
• In Watsonville, Ann Soldo Elementary School, Alianza Charter School, Monte Vista Christian School and Valley Convalescent Hospital will duck and cover.
• Scotts Valley's high school and middle school are participating.
• Cypress High School in Live Oak and Main Street Elementary School in Soquel are taking part.

Here are other ways to participate in the ShakeOut. Search events by county or area here.

The ShakeOut is intended to simulate the impact of a magnitude-7.8 earthquake originating from the southernmost area of the San Andreas Fault. Under this scenario, a tectonic shift would produce waves of movement for hundreds of miles over four minutes.

It comes just a day after the 23-year anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake, a 6.9-magnitude quake that radiated from the Santa Cruz Mountains in Aptos and wrecked havoc on Santa Cruz County and the Bay Area.

Click here to register for this year's ShakeOut. Promote the exercise and earthquake preparedness using these resources.

Think you know what do when an earthquake strikes? Test your knowledge with this quiz. And see if you'd "Beat the Quake" here.

—City News Service contributed to this report.