The Great ShakeOut was conducted this morning across the state in California with an estimated 6.9 million people participating in what it called the larget earthquake drill in the U.S.

At 10:15 am PST California's University of San Diego, students were alerted with outdoor sirens, phone calls to their dorms and cell phones, and emails, and were instructed to "drop cover and avoid falling debris" for at least a minute. USD was one of hundreds of schools participating in the large scale drill.

USD's Department of Public Safety said that USD will use the opportunity to test our emergency mass-notification systems, including our outdoor notification system. "We would like every staff member, faculty member and student on campus to drop, cover and hold on for 60 seconds. The drop-and-cover procedure is a proven technique to stay safer during a major quake when heavy objects may be falling. Take cover under a sturdy desk or table as soon as the shaking begins, hold on, and simply ride out the shaking."