BRIEF: Heads up: Millions across U.S. set to take part in annual earthquake drill

Oct. 18--People across the U.S. will drop, cover and hold on Thursday morning, taking part of the Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill.

The drill will start at 10:18 a.m. on the West Coast. Local radio and TV stations are planning to air a drill broadcast, according to the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC), which manages the drill.

More than 21 million people are expected to participate this year, according to SCEC. This is the 10th year of the ShakeOut drill, which was originally created as a one-time drill in Southern California.

In Washington, more than 5.4 million people live in the zone endangered by a potential magnitude 9.0 earthquake, or what's been dubbed a Cascadia megaquake, according to federal data. The Big One may shake the Pacific Northwest for four to five minutes, longer than the five biggest quakes in Washington's recorded history combined. It's likely to be one of the worst disasters the nation has ever faced.

Read more:

Seismic Neglect: The earthquake nightmare public officials are failing to confront

Get ready to rumble: A guide to earthquake preparedness

Survey finds only 11.3 percent of Washington homes have earthquake insurance

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