Portugal to hold national earthquake awareness exercise on November 5

The National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) will conduct the 14th edition of the “A Terra Treme” (The Earth Shakes) national earthquake awareness exercise on November 5 at 11:05 AM. The initiative aims to sensitize the population to seismic risks and promote essential self-protection behaviors to be used before, during, and after an earthquake.

During a one-minute period, participants are encouraged to practice three fundamental safety gestures: “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” (Baixar, Proteger e Aguardar). The exercise is open to individuals, families, schools, companies, and both public and private organizations across the entire national territory.

The main event of this edition will take place at the Sebastião da Gama Secondary School in Setúbal, in collaboration with the Institute of Education, Quality and Evaluation (EduQA) and the Agency for the Management of the Educational System (AGSE). ANEPC will coordinate with regional commands, fire departments, and municipal civil protection services to promote awareness actions nationwide.