But it goes beyond being a publicity stunt. Recent seismic events of the Pacific Coast have many experts believing we're going to get a 'big one' in the next few years or decades.

According to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management (OEM), the Great Oregon Shakeout will involve some 520,000 people who have registered to take part in the drill. It's designed to call attention to the proper precautions to take if an earthquake strikes.

The Office of Emergency Management says many schools, business and other groups are participating in the drill, which will begin at 10:15am on October 15th.

Officials say it will be the largest earthquake drill conducted at one time in history. But they also say it's important to know what to do if such an event occurs.

According to OEM officials, recent seismic activity and increases in the Pacific Rim region have prompted safety experts to predict the West could be looking at a significant incident:

"Recently, much attention has been given to the fact that Oregon is located near the Cascadia Subduction Zone, a fault line stretching from California to British Columbia, that is due for a major quake and tsunami similar to the 2004 Boxing Day event in Indonesia and the 2011 Tohuku event in Japan."

To learn more about the event, and to register, click here.

Great Oregon shakeout (Oregon Office of Emergency Management)
Great Oregon shakeout (Oregon Office of Emergency Management)
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