During 'Great Shakeout,' PG&E Reminds Customers To be Ready for Earthquakes

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After he experienced the massive 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Electric Crew Foreman Steve Semenero started teaching his family how to get out of their house in case of an emergency. He made sure they all agreed on a meeting point, and he also started placing flashlights around the house in case the power went out during a future earthquake.

PG&E Customer Service Representative Rick Brewster was in his recliner watching television in his Kern County home when the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake moved the walls, ceiling and floor of his home. Pictures fell from walls and his water heater shook off its foundation. The shaking was so strong it was hard to stand and impossible to move. The experience taught Brewster that along with regular earthquake safety tips, he needed to ensure that from now on, everything in his house was properly secured.

Both men hope the lessons they learned from a major earthquake will help others prepare for the next one as California marks the Great Shakeout on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 10:10 a.m.

Drop, Cover and Hold On

The Great California ShakeOut is an annual opportunity to practice how to be safer during big earthquakes and reinforce the Drop, Cover and Hold On safety message.

Semenero, who also felt the 2017 Napa earthquake, believes every day should be earthquake awareness day for California residents.

“During both earthquakes, power went out, and there was major damage near the epicenter. It just reinforces to me how important it is for everyone to be ready, and to have escape routes and a plan for your family because another earthquake could happen anytime,” Semenero said.

For more information about earthquake safety and tips for your family, visit the “Be prepared for an earthquake page” on PG&E’s website.

About PG&E
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco, with more than 23,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to 16 million people in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com and www.pge.com/news.