Nerves, but no quaking during Kirschen’s ShakeOut

The Great California ShakeOut struck at 10:20 a.m. and second-grader Yissele Banuelos was ready. She dropped to the floor, ducked under her desk, covered her head and held on tight to a desk leg as the school alarm sounded.

“Attention, please,” Kirschen Elementary Principal Millie Griggs’ voice came over the loudspeaker, over a slight grinding noise meant to simulate ground shaking. Follow earthquake procedures, she said. “Get under a table or desk. Stay away from windows or anything that could fall and hurt you. Hold that position until the shaking stops. Do not go outside.”

Yissele and classmates in Kim Hoagland’s class followed instructions precisely Thursday, with only a couple of wiggles betraying the excitement of the 2016 Great ShakeOut. The event, at 10:20 a.m. on 10/20, was observed by 21 million people, from preschools to senior citizen centers, worldwide.

In California, knowing what to do when the ground shakes has particular importance. Less than three hours before the drill, a 2.5-magnitude earthquake rattled china in Morgan Hill, and around 3:45 a.m., a 3.4-magnitude temblor rocked mattresses in Cobb, near Clearlake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Such small-size seismic moments are frequent in the state’s coastal regions, periodic reminders of why brick school buildings in Turlock (Turlock High) and Modesto (the old Franklin School) became offices for grown-ups. Blame it on our faults, the Earth’s antiquated expansion joints, including the San Andreas Fault running down California’s west side.

But tectonic plates were not on Yissele’s mind as she scrunched for about 30 seconds under her desk Thursday. After one long bell signaled the all-clear, she sat back at her desk with a look of relief.

“I feel happy because it was just a practice and not real,” she told her teacher.

“It was practice, just in case it could really happen,” said Jennifer Soto in such a quiet voice Hoagland repeated it so others could hear.

Classmate Milliani Rorn said she was glad they had the drill. “If an earthquake happens, we would already know what to do,” she said.

Classes in lower grades delayed recess to take part in the drill, Hoagland said. Before the bells went off, she went through all the details of what would happen and what kids should do.

“As a primary teacher, it has been my experience that it is important to emphasize that we are practicing what steps we need to take, so that if there is a real emergency, such as an earthquake, we will be safe,” Hoagland said.

“It is also important to acknowledge that students may feel scared or insecure even during a drill, but we have to try not to panic and remain calm in order to remember what steps to follow,” she said. “That is why we practice.”

Every school year starts with a staff review of safety procedures with any updates, Griggs said. Kirschen has monthly fire drills, regular lockdown drills and, starting this year, an off-campus evacuation drill.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Nerves, but no quaking during Kirschen’s ShakeOut."