The Great Central U.S. Shakeout Drill is scheduled for Thursday, October 16, 2014 at 10:16am. The central United States is earthquake country. The Wabash Valley Seismic Zone is located in Southeastern Illinois and Southwestern Indiana. The New Madrid Seismic zone has several fault lines that stretch from Marked Tree, Arkansas to Cairo, Illinois. Both zones are in close enough proximity that a large earthquake could become an unprecedented catastrophe, affecting multiple states, causing a devastating impact on the national transportation system, electric power grid, and economy. Scientists estimate that there is a 25-40% probability of a damaging earthquake occurring in the central U.S. within a 50 year window of time. With earthquakes as an inevitable part of our future, we must make plans and take actions to reduce the consequences of these disasters. What we do now will determine what our lives will be like afterwards. Following FEMA’s National Preparedness Month in September, The Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills are occurring nationwide. States participating in the ShakeOut include; Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee. Currently, more than 2.6 million people are expected to participate in drills, over 478,000 in Indiana alone. The ShakeOut is designed to help individuals and communities to takes steps necessary to prepare for these earthquakes, by practicing how to protect themselves. During the self-led ShakeOut drill, participants perform a variety of disaster safety activities, including: • Practicing Drop, Cover, and Hold On • Testing emergency plans or procedures • Updating disaster supply kits • Securing items that may fall or cause injury during an earthquake, and much more The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is coordinated by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and its member and associate states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of partners. The goal of the program is to engage participants to take steps to become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters. The drill is free and open-to-the-public, and participants include individuals, schools, businesses, local and state government agencies, and many other groups. Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills began in California in 2008 and have expanded each year since then. Interested citizens, schools, communities, businesses, etc. are encouraged to visit shakeout.org/centralus to register to participate in the drill. On the website, many resources are available for participants to use during the ShakeOut drill including drill manuals, audio and video drill broadcasts, earthquake scenarios, and more. Remember: Disaster Preparedness is Everyone’s Responsibility!
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 13:25:46 +0000
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