Hundreds of thousands of people across the commonwealth participated in the recent national earthquake drill called the “Great Shake Out.”

More than 14 million people—including 5,981 schools, 463 colleges, and 2,245 businesses—registered to participate in the drill. This year marks the first time Southeastern states participated in the national event. Along with Virginia, our Southeastern region neighbors Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Washington D.C. also joined in.

Event organizers and our own Governor Bob McDonnell hoped the event will raise awareness about earthquake safety. Here in Virginia, that’s especially important following the magnitude-5.8 quake in Louisa County just last year. In fact, the number of quakes east of the Rocky Mountains has increased dramatically in recent years. Averaging just 21 quakes magnitude-3.0 and above from 1971 to 2000, the number of quakes jumped to an average of 90 per year in just the last three years.

Common misconceptions about earthquake safety are to seek shelter in a doorway, or to run outside. Experts recommend taking cover under furniture instead, and say you should not go outside where building pieces can fall on you.

If you’re indoors, you should “drop, cover, and hold on”—drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table to protect yourself from falling items, and hold on to the item until the shaking stops. If you’re outdoors, try to move to an open area away from power lines, trees, and buildings.

And if you’re driving, slow down and stop on the side of the road, being careful to avoid stopping on or under bridges and overpasses, under power lines, or near trees.