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4h ago

California Conducts Great ShakeOut Drill as 3.1 Quake Rattles Berkeley

Officials used the statewide drill to promote MyShake alerts, urging 72-hour readiness.

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A preliminary 3.1 magnitude earthquake struck at 9:23 a.m. near Berkeley, Calif., on Oct. 16, 2025.
Nearly 100 employees practice “Duck, Cover, and Hold On,” for the Great California ShakeOut on Oct. 17, 2024, at Southern California Edison’s Emergency Operations Center in Irwindale. (File photo by Mimi Teller/American Red Cross)

Overview

  • At 10:16 a.m., more than 10.3 million registered participants practiced earthquake safety, with test notifications sent via MyShake and other alerting systems and BART trains briefly slowing and stopping as part of the exercise.
  • A preliminary magnitude 3.1 earthquake struck near Berkeley at 9:23 a.m., producing weak to light shaking with no significant damage reported.
  • Cal OES capped a statewide outreach tour with a mobile earthquake simulator that visited UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton, the San Francisco Zoo and San Diego Waterfront Park to build muscle memory and highlight early warning tools.
  • Guidance emphasized Drop, Cover and Hold On, preparation of 72-hour emergency supplies, securing heavy furniture and knowing how to shut off household gas after a quake.
  • Officials cited USGS modeling of a potential 7.8 southern San Andreas event causing about 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries and $200 billion-plus in losses, noting a greater than 99% chance of a M6.7+ quake in 30 years and that MyShake has topped 4 million downloads with up to 30 seconds of warning for M4.5+ events.