Bellevue Fire Department is asking residents to drop, cover and hold on at 10:15 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, during the annual Great ShakeOut earthquake drill.
More than 1.5 million people across Washington have registered for the statewide exercise. The drill is straightforward: when the signal sounds, drop to your hands and knees, take cover under a sturdy table or desk, and hold on.
The Emergency Alert System will activate at 10:15 a.m., and the signal will air on radio, television and cable systems statewide, according to the National Weather Service. KIRO FM 97.3, Seattle Sports 710 AM and Seattle Red 770 AM are among the stations carrying it, MyNorthwest reported.
Your cell phone will not buzz.
The NWS confirmed the drill will not trigger Wireless Emergency Alerts sent to mobile devices. Only NOAA Weather Radio, broadcast radio and TV will carry the test signal.
Outdoor tsunami sirens will also sound their full "wailing" tone at 10:15 a.m. That sound is louder and more alarming than the standard test chime used the rest of the year, according to ShakeOut.org. Emergency management officials are asking residents not to call 911 when they hear it.
KIRO Newsradio meteorologist Ted Buehner, writing for MyNorthwest, noted that several earthquake faults run through the Puget Sound region, including the Seattle fault, the Tacoma fault and the South Whidbey Island fault. Geologic records show each is capable of producing a magnitude 7.0 quake or greater.
"Earthquakes are no-notice events as opposed to significant weather events," Buehner wrote. He added that quakes can strike at any time, whether people are at home, at work, on the road or in school.
Buehner also stressed the importance of a backup communication plan. Phone systems will likely be overwhelmed or knocked out after a real quake, he wrote, and the ShakeOut drill is a chance to practice reaching family members through alternate means.
Schools across the state are using the ShakeOut as their October monthly emergency drill. Families, businesses, health care facilities and neighborhood groups have also registered, according to MyNorthwest.
FEMA is supporting the 2026 drill as part of the lead-up to the 50th anniversary of the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program in 2027.
Washington residents can register for free and find safety resources at ShakeOut.org/washington. The state's "Prepare in a Year" guide, available in six languages including Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Vietnamese, is at mil.wa.gov/prepare-in-a-year.
