On Wednesday, October 23 at 10:23 a.m. over 50,000 Montanans will join millions around the world as they drop, cover, and hold on as part of the 2013 Rocky Mountain Shake-Out.

Mike Stickney, Director of Earthquake Studies at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology in Butte, said the purpose of the shake-out is to educate Montanans on the appropriate actions to take to ensure safety when the ground starts to shake.

"All the participants in this exercise will duck, cover their heads, get beneath a sturdy piece of furniture, and hold on for one full minute as a training exercise to teach people what to do in the event a strong earthquake happens in their area," Stickney said. "Montana has a significant history of earthquakes, with one the magnitude of 7.2, as we experienced in the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake in Yellowstone Park."

Stickney said interested individuals can visit the shake-out website and click on the Rocky Mountain state emblem.

"You can get all kinds of information about past earthquakes and earthquake hazards, things you can do to protect your family, as well as to participate in this event," Stickney said.

Stickney said a large portion of the over 50,000 Montanans who will be participating in the shake-out will be school-age students

Mike Stickney, Director of Earthquake Studies at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology:

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