October 20, 2021 3:30 a.m.

The Roseburg Fire Department encourages residents to take part in the Great Oregon ShakeOut on Thursday.

A release said it’s the state’s version of a worldwide earthquake drill to prepare people to survive such a disaster.

The drill is designed to raise awareness about the dangers and fury of earthquakes and is held on the third Thursday in October. This year the shakeout will be held at 10:21 a.m. when participants will practice how to “drop, cover and hold on” for one to two minutes.

The release said according to scientists, Pacific Northwest residents could face a threat from a devastating Cascadia subduction zone or “Megathrust” earthquake with a potential magnitude of at least 9.0. The Cascadia subduction zone fault runs along the Pacific Northwest coastline. The last catastrophic earthquake on that fault occurred in 1700, and experts report that such earthquakes have historically occurred every 300 to 500 years.

Staff with the City of Roseburg will participate along with local schools, the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians, Douglas County Amateur Radio Emergency Services, healthcare facilities, businesses, churches and nonprofit organizations.

Those interested in taking part, can register at https://www.shakeout.org/. Those who sign up will receive information about how to plan a drill and help spread the message of earthquake preparedness. Organizers ask participants to register so they can be counted and get communications about the drill.

The release said during or immediately after the simulation, people are encouraged to look around their surroundings to see if anything in that space might fall and injure them during a real earthquake, and make changes based on that assessment.

For more information, call the Roseburg Fire Department at 492-6770.