Every October, millions of people around the world participate in the Great ShakeOut, an annual earthquake drill designed to remind communities of a simple but important fact: earthquake preparedness needs to happen before the ground begins to move.

This year, International ShakeOut Day will take place on October 15, 2026. At a minimum, participants are encouraged to spend one minute practicing “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” the recommended action to take during earthquake shaking. Schools, businesses, property managers, families and individuals can also use the drill as an opportunity to review emergency plans, test communications and identify potential hazards.

For apartment owners and property managers in San Diego, ShakeOut is also an opportunity to think beyond what we should do during an earthquake and consider how our buildings will perform when one occurs.

Southern California is earthquake country, and preparedness involves more than emergency supplies and knowing where to take cover. The structural condition of our buildings is an important part of earthquake preparedness as well.

Many older apartment buildings were constructed under building codes that did not incorporate what we know today about seismic performance. Depending on a building’s age, design and construction, structural vulnerabilities may exist that can increase the potential for serious damage during strong shaking.

This is why seismic retrofitting is so important.

Seismic retrofitting is intended to strengthen identified structural weaknesses and improve how a building performs during an earthquake. While no building can be made completely earthquake-proof, strengthening vulnerable structures before an earthquake can help reduce the potential for catastrophic damage and, most importantly, help protect lives.

For rental housing providers, building resilience is also about protecting residents and preserving housing after a disaster. When apartment buildings are severely damaged and become uninhabitable, families can be displaced at a time when housing and community resources are already under tremendous pressure. Strengthening vulnerable buildings can therefore contribute to the resilience of the entire community.

ShakeOut organizers encourage participants to use the annual drill to learn what to do before, during and after an earthquake. Property owners can take the same approach. Review emergency procedures, communicate with residents, secure items that could fall or move during shaking, and understand whether your building may have structural vulnerabilities that should be evaluated.

On October 15, take a minute to Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Then take another moment to consider the preparedness of your property.

We cannot predict when the next major earthquake will occur, but we can prepare for it. Seismic retrofitting is one of the proactive steps property owners can take today to help protect their buildings, their residents and their communities before the next earthquake strikes.

Source: Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills, “Frequently Asked Questions,” ShakeOut.org

By Ali Sahabi

The Optimum Seismic team has been making California cities safer since 1984 by providing full-service earthquake engineering, steel fabrication and construction services for multifamily residential, commercial and industrial buildings. With more than 4,000 earthquake retrofit and renovation projects completed, Optimum Seismic’s work includes soft-story multifamily apartments, tilt-up, non-ductile concrete, steel moment frame and unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings. To arrange a complimentary assessment of your building’s earthquake resilience, contact Optimum Seismic at (833) 978-7664 or visit optimumseismic.com.