Arizona's school kids — and everyone else — are being asked to drop, cover and hold at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday.
The Arizona Geological Survey says the 2015 Great Arizona Shakeout drill is so Arizonans are prepared for earthquakes. That’s despite the fact the last major earthquake struck southern Arizona in 1887.
The Geological Survey says hundreds of earthquakes occur in Arizona every year — we just don’t feel most of them. But we should be ready, said University of Arizona geology professor Susan Beck.
"So we do have earthquakes, but in general, we’re fortunate that we don’t have them all the time. It certainly doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t prepare for earthquakes," said Beck. "As with any kind of disaster, of course, you don’t know when they are going to happen."
Beck said seismic activity in Arizona is most likely to occur along faults north of Flagstaff, and Yuma can feel temblors originating in northern Mexico or California.
Officials have released a booklet to help residents prepare for possible earthquakes.