Amateur Radio Support for USGS

On International ShakeOut Day, October 16, 2025, at 10:16 AM local time, millions of people worldwide will practice earthquake safety. After you “Drop, Cover, and Hold On,” amateur radio operators have a unique role to play: supporting the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) by submitting Winlink DYFI (“Did You Feel It?”) reports. These reports provide valuable ground-truth data that helps USGS monitor and respond to earthquakes.

By sending your DYFI report via Winlink (Cc: SHAKEOUT; ETO-DRILL), you are not only testing our emergency communication readiness, but also contributing directly to a critical USGS data stream that informs science, emergency management, and community resilience.

In 2025, LAXNORTHEAST is once again showcasing the Amateur Radio Community Intensity Map (ARCIM)—a powerful tool that visualizes Winlink DYFI reports (Cc: SHAKEOUT) in near real-time. This demonstrates how amateur radio operators can rapidly transform individual reports into actionable, map-based situational awareness. In parallel, the EmComm Training Organization (ETO) strengthens the exercise by providing its well-known message evaluation process for all reports submitted with Cc: ETO-DRILL, ensuring both accuracy and readiness across the amateur radio community.

🔗 Instructions for submitting your Winlink DYFI report:

• LAX Northeast Instructions

• EmComm Training Group Guide

For more information on DYFI and earthquake science, visit the official USGS Earthquake Hazards Program: https://earthquake.usgs.gov

Let’s show the power of amateur radio in action—support science, improve preparedness, and participate in ShakeOut 2025!