A statewide earthquake drill is shaking up the state in preparation for the Great Montana ShakeOut. Betsy Miller with the Governor’s Office of Community Service said over 150,000 Montanans are expected to participate.

"We're not quite as seismically active as states like California or Washington but we do have a lot of small earthquakes happening everyday throughout the state," Miller said. "We just encourage people to know what to do in case of an earthquake. Montana has had several large earthquakes in the past, so it's always a risk that we need to be aware of."

Miller said if an earthquake were to happen, people should drop down to the ground; cover yourself with a table or desk to protect your head and neck; and lastly, hold on so long as the shaking continues.

"Look for things that aren't secured to the walls. We encourage people to look at bookcases, making sure that the heavy items are on the lower shelves rather than up high," Miller said. "Any valuables like you computer monitor, make sure they are secure on the table because you don't want to have those damaged after an earthquake. Things like water heaters, just make sure those are attached to the wall."

According to Miller, Montana’s largest earthquake was recorded in 1959 near Hebgen Lake. The 7.3 magnitude quake resulted in a landslide, which formed what we now know to be Quake Lake.

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