Were you rattled by the Aug. 23, 2011 earthquake? People across Northern Virginia felt the unusual 5.8 earthquake centered in Mineral, Va. Damage here was minimal but nerves were frayed.

If an earthquake should ever shake the area again, emergency officials want residents to be prepared. They are asking everyone to participate in the Great Southeast ShakeOut, an earthquake drill set for Oct. 18.

The Manassas Park Fire and Rescue Department has created a checklist for what to do before during and after an earthquake.

More than 390,000 Virginians had signed up to practice “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” the recommended response to an earthquake. To date, total registration stands at 560,000. Virginia has joined Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland and the District of Columbia to help people understand the safe response to an earthquake and to promote participation in the Great Southeast ShakeOut.

The drill is open to everyone – individuals, families, businesses, organizations, schools and colleges, government agencies can sign up at www.shakeout.org/southeast. Once registered, participants will receive information on how to plan their drill and how to engage communities to become better prepared for earthquakes and disasters.

The Great Southeast ShakeOut will be at 10:18 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 18.