How to ShakeOut

Find basic instructions on how you can get prepared and take part in New Zealand ShakeOut.

Before the drill

Sign up to ShakeOut – it only takes two minutes.
Make a note of the date and time in your calendar – 9:30am, 28 October 2021. If the date and time don’t work for you, you can ShakeOut any time within two weeks and still be counted.
Know your tsunami evacuation zone. Make plans for a tsunami hīkoi if you are in a coastal area.
Learn about the earthquake and tsunami risk in your area and other parts of New Zealand.
Share the ShakeOut – use our resources to get the people around you involved.
Download and share our Drop, Cover and Hold and Long or Strong: Get Gone posters. Remind yourself and others what to do in an earthquake or tsunami.

Sign up for New Zealand ShakeOut

ShakeOut takes place across the world to remind people of the right action to take during an earthquake. Drop, Cover and Hold. You can also practise a tsunami hīkoi (evacuation) if you're in a coastal area.

Sign up and you're in to win a civil defence wheelie bin or grab bag!

Sign up

Woman and Stan the dog doing Drop, Cover and Hold

Information for schools, businesses and individuals

Find ShakeOut information for schools and early childhood centres. We know that when kids are involved in preparing for emergencies, they encourage their families to be more prepared. And they play a more active role in responding to and recovering from emergencies.
Find ShakeOut information for business and organisations. An emergency plan is a health and safety requirement. Not having one is a big risk for your business and the people in it.
Find ShakeOut information for individuals, households and families. Taking part is a great way for your whānau to learn the right actions to take before, during and after an earthquake and tsunami.

Doing the drill

ShakeOut is a self-run drill. You can start it in whatever way works for you. You could:

use a bell, whistle or alarm
play the New Zealand ShakeOut Announcement over your PA system
shout “EARTHQUAKE DRILL”, or
tune in to our Facebook livestream.

Drop, Cover and Hold for 30–60 seconds:

DROP down on your hands and knees. This protects you from falling but lets you move if you need to.
COVER your head and neck (or your entire body if possible) under a sturdy table or desk (if it is within a few steps of you). If there is no shelter nearby, cover your head and neck with your arms and hands.
HOLD on to your shelter (or your position to protect your head and neck) until the shaking stops. If the shaking shifts your shelter around, move with it.

While you are doing the drill, take note of what might be happening around you in a real earthquake. Think about what you might need to do to prepare for a real earthquake.

Use this New Zealand ShakeOut audio announcement to start your earthquake drill. Play it through a speaker or PA so everyone knows the correct action to take.

NZ ShakeOut Drill Announcement recording

shakeout-drill-day-audio-en-jul19.mp3

mp3

1.9 MB

Tsunami hīkoi

If you are in a tsunami evacuation zone you should practise your evacuation route, or ‘tsunami hīkoi’. A tsunami hīkoi is a walk that takes you along your tsunami evacuation route either inland or towards high ground.

Find out more