About 100 years ago Nevada was rocked by the largest earthquake in its history, the Oct. 2, 1915, magnitude 7.3 Pleasant Valley earthquake south of Winnemucca. Only a few large earthquakes since then have rumbled the state, but nothing near the surface scar – with a vertical offset as high as 19 feet – that stretched 35 miles across Nevada’s Great Basin.

October is also the month for the Great Nevada ShakeOut. It is a simple, coordinated “drop, cover and hold on” exercise on Oct. 15 at 10:15am. Last year more than 570,000 Nevadans participated.

More than 568,000 Nevadans already are registered to participate this year in the annual statewide public earthquake drill. To register as an individual, business, school or government agency or organization, go online.

Participants of the drill are instructed to drop, cover, and hold as if there were a major earthquake occurring at that very moment, and to stay in that position for at least 60 seconds. Participants are also encouraged to practice other aspects of emergency plans and to “secure your space,” which includes retrofitting buildings to reduce damage and securing things within a building to prevent injury.