California Black Media

Drop, Cover & Hold On: Get 7 Tips to Prepare You and Your Family for an Earthquake

This year’s International ShakeOut Day was Oct. 17. Millions of people worldwide participated in earthquake drills at work, school, or home. October also marks the 35th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which devastated the Bay Area. That 6.9 magnitude shock was responsible for 63 deaths and nearly 4,000 injuries. Recently, Listos California, the state’s disaster preparedness program, partnered with Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media to provide vital information to help Californians be prepared in the event of an earthquake.

Published

1 year ago

October 28, 2024

Oakland Post

Image Courtesy of Listos California.

By Edward Henderson, California Black Media

This year’s International ShakeOut Day was Oct. 17. Millions of people worldwide participated in earthquake drills at work, school, or home. October also marks the 35^th anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which devastated the Bay Area. That 6.9 magnitude shock was responsible for 63 deaths and nearly 4,000 injuries.

Recently, Listos California, the state’s disaster preparedness program, partnered with Ethnic Media Services and California Black Media to provide vital information to help Californians be prepared in the event of an earthquake.

“Preparing can be about securing your space, having an emergency plan, minimizing your hardship after the fact by having important documents organized and in place,” said Amy Palmer, Deputy Director of Crisis Communications and Public Affairs at the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).

The experts say there are seven key safety steps to take to make sure you and your family are prepared for an earthquake:

Secure your space by identifying hazards and securing movable items.
Plan to be safe by creating an emergency plan.
Organize emergency supplies in convenient locations.
Minimize financial hardship by considering insurance and organizing important documents.
Drop, Cover and Hold On when shaking begins.
Improve Safety after earthquakes by evacuating if necessary or helping others.
Reconnect and restore daily life by rebuilding community, and reconnecting with others.

“We’ve had a number of quakes this year where our system of statewide sensors is giving people a significant number of seconds before the shaking starts,” said Palmer. “The key for everyone in California is to make sure that you know the phrase: ‘drop, cover, and hold on’ so that you can take action when you get an alert on your phone, or you feel the very first indications of shaking.”

To further prepare Californians for earthquakes, Cal OES hosted a tour focused on providing life-saving tips, including a simulator that can demonstrate the power of up to a 7.0 magnitude quake.

“You need to take action upon feeling shaking or receiving an earthquake early warning alert and that means truly drop, cover, hold on,” said Jose Lara, Chief of the Seismic Hazards Branch at Cal OES. “We really encourage you to practice that on your own with your all types of settings. Because without this muscle memory when shaking arrives at your location, you may not take that protective action that you need to stay safe.”

There are also several ‘myths’ about earthquake survival the campaign aims to dismiss. One is that standing in a doorway is a safe measure during an earthquake. This is NOT a safe measure due to modern building codes that have strengthened other areas in homes and commercial buildings. Another myth is that running outside is safer during an earthquake. Due to the danger of falling objects that could strike you on the way out, running outside is not encouraged.

If you’re driving during an earthquake, the best practice is to pull over if you can and wait out the shaking inside of your vehicle while looking out for debris falling onto roadways in mountainous areas.

Another critical tool, the MyShake App, connects users with the Earthquake Early Warning System designed to give residents warnings seconds before shaking starts.

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Activism

2025 in Review: Seven Questions for Black Women’s Think Tank Founder Kellie Todd Griffin

As the president and CEO of the California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute, Griffin is on a mission to shift the narrative and outcomes for Black women and girls. She founded the nation’s first Black Women’s Think Tank, securing $5 million in state funding to fuel policy change.

Published

1 day ago

December 14, 2025

Oakland Post

Kellie Todd Griffin. CBM file photo.

By Edward Henderson
California Black Media

With more than 25 years of experience spanning public affairs, community engagement, strategy, marketing, and communications, Kellie Todd Griffin is recognized across California as a leader who mobilizes people and policy around issues that matter.

Griffin spoke with California Black Media (CBM) about her successes and setbacks in 2025 and her hopes for 2026.

Looking back at 2025, what stands out to you as your most important achievement and why? 

Our greatest achievement in this year is we got an opportunity to honor the work of 35 Black women throughout California who are trailblazing the way for the next generation of leaders.

How did your leadership, efforts and investments as president and CEO California Black Women’s Collective Empowerment Institute contribute to improving the lives of Black Californians? 

We’re training the next leaders. We have been able to train 35 women over a two-year period, and we’re about to start a new cohort of another 30 women. We also have trained over 500 middle and high school girls in leadership, advocacy, and financial literacy.

What frustrated you the most over the last year?

Getting the question, “why.” Why advocate for Black women? Why invest in Black people, Black communities? It’s always constantly having to explain that, although we are aware that there are other populations that are in great need, the quality-of-life indices for Black Californians continue to decrease. Our life expectancies are decreasing. Our unhoused population is increasing. Our health outcomes remain the worst.

We’re not asking anyone to choose one group to prioritize. We are saying, though, in addition to your investments into our immigrant brothers and sisters – or our religious brothers and sisters – we are also asking you to uplift the needs of Black Californians. That way, all of us can move forward together.

What inspired you the most over the last year?

I’ve always been amazed by the joy of Black women in the midst of crisis.

That is really our secret sauce. We don’t let the current state of any issue take our joy from us. It may break us a little bit. We may get tired a little bit. But we find ways to express that – through the arts, through music, through poetry.

What is one lesson you learned in 2025 that will inform your decision-making next year?

Reset. It’s so important not to be sitting still. We have a new administration. We’re seeing data showing that Black women have the largest unemployment rate. We’ve lost so many jobs. We can have rest – we can be restful – but we have to continue the resistance.

In one word, what is the biggest challenge Black Californians faced in 2025?

Motivation.

I choose motivation because of the tiredness. What is going to motivate us to be involved in 2026?

What is the goal you want to achieve most in 2026?

I want to get Black Californians in spaces and places of power and influence – as well as opportunities to thrive economically, socially, and physically.