Students go under cover in quake drill

Liam Kordonowy, 10, knows what to do in an earthquake.

“First, you get under your table, then you cover you head and make sure you’re safe from any debris,” he said. “Then, a fire alarm goes off, and you walk out onto the field and wait. Nobody should be talking.”

The Seeliger Elementary School fifth-grader practiced those skills Thursday during the Great Nevada ShakeOut, a coordinated drill across the state at 10:17 a.m.

Nevada was one of several states participating, calling on all residents regardless of their location — at home, at work, at school, anywhere — to drop, cover and hold on as if there were a major earthquake occurring, and stay in the position for at least 60 seconds.

Across the state, an estimated 565,000 people took part in the fourth annual Great Nevada ShakeOut, organized by the University of Nevada, Reno, the Nevada Earthquake Safety Council and the Nevada Department of Public Safety-Division of Emergency Management. More than 11,600 people participated in Carson City.

According to the Great Nevada ShakeOut website, Nevada is at higher earthquake risk than most areas of the country.

“Over the last 150 years, Nevada has ranked third in the country in the number of large earthquakes,” the website states. “Since the 1850s, 76 earthquakes with potentially destructive magnitudes of 5.5 or greater have occurred in Nevada.”

Although the drill was carried out Thursday, the information was nothing new to students at Seeliger Elementary School.

“We learn the same thing every year, so we basically remember it,” said Abby Golik, 11.

But that’s for the best, said Makayla Lawson, 10.

“If it does happen, we’re prepared for it,” she said. “It’s better to be safe than to be sorry.”