US college creates video game to boost earthquake preparedness

A road damaged after an earthquake in Ojo de Agua, Michoacan, Mexico. A new video game, released ahead of International ShakeOut Day on Oct 20, can help get you ready for an earthquake or other natural disaster. — Reuters

The Big One is coming. Would you know what to do if an earthquake hit?

A new video game, released ahead of International ShakeOut Day on Oct 20, can help get you ready for an earthquake or other natural disaster.

Concerned that people in the Pacific Northwest are underprepared for earthquakes, a team of researchers at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon brainstormed an alternative form of media to target young adults, who they found are often excluded from messaging campaigns.

Cascadia 9.0 is designed to make earthquake preparation more enjoyable. The game's name comes from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a 600-mile fault off the Pacific coastline, which has the potential to produce a magnitude 9.0 earthquake.

Inside the game, the player navigates urgent situations while travelling through a demolished city to find their dog, Tsu, who got loose after a massive earthquake. Along the way, the player must address the lack of clean drinking water, aftershocks and gas leaks.

Initial results have shown gaming participants felt more confident about coping with some key earthquake-related challenges, such as finding and purifying water and having good sanitation. Cascadia 9.0 is available at cascadia9game.org.

In recognition of International ShakeOut Day on Oct 20, which is designed to raise awareness for earthquake preparedness, officials across Washington are sharing resources to help people make a plan for natural disasters. Major partners involved in the Washington ShakeOut include the state Military Emergency Management Division, the state Seismic Safety Committee, the state Department of Natural Resources and the state Emergency Management Association.

According to the ShakeOut website, in most situations, if you feel shaking or get an earthquake alert, you should immediately drop onto your hands and knees where you are, cover your head and neck with one arm and hand (and crawl under a sturdy table or desk if there is one nearby) and hold on until the shaking stops.

Looking for a lighthearted way to remember some key preparedness tips? Washington's Emergency Management Division created a parody to Smash Mouth’s All Star with tips to be safe during an earthquake: “Hey now. Gotta drop down. Take some cover. Hold on. Stay down in your safe place until the shaking is gone,” the song goes. – The Seattle Times/Tribune News Service