More than half a million Bay Area residents have signed up for a statewide earthquake drill in October to mark the 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake, event organizers said Thursday.

The Great California ShakeOut is scheduled for 10:15 a.m. on Oct.15 and will give residents a chance to improve preparedness and practice protective actions, according to U.S. Geological Survey spokeswoman Susan Garcia.

The 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta quake rumbled the Bay Area on Oct. 17, 1989, and the USGS says there is a 63 percent chance an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 or greater will occur before 2032.

Last year, 5.4 million people participated in the Great Southern California Shakeout, before the drill became statewide.

For more information about the drill, visit www.ShakeOut.org.

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