The Great Central U.S. “Shake Out” is an annual drill that encourages better planning and preparedness in the event of an earthquake. KSMU’s Theresa Bettmann talks with experts to learn about the upcoming drill and how to be better prepared.
In states like California, earthquakes tend to be more common, and residents may be better prepared if one occurs. But, for many Missourians, earthquakes may not be something they think about very often.
The New Madrid Seismic Zone in southeast Missouri, roughly 4 hours away from Springfield, has historically produced some of the largest earthquakes in the United States. Experts say that small earthquakes and tremors do occur frequently even if they go unnoticed by most of us, and they remind us a major earthquake could strike at any time.
Last year, more than 2.4 million people in 10 states participated in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut drill. Steve Besemer, earthquake program manager with the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, or SEMA, says knowing some basic things can make all of the difference.
“It’s all just basically an opportunity for people to practice the three basic steps we encourage people to know and to do in the event they’re ever in an earthquake. Those three steps are drop to the ground, take cover under a table or desk which is hopefully nearby, and the third step it to hold onto that table until the shaking stops,” says Besemer.
The drill is just the first step to getting everyone talking and thinking, says Besemer. He says having a plan in place is the best line of defense in any emergency.
“In a lot of ways preparing for an earthquake is like preparing for other sorts of emergencies, disasters or situations. I think it’s important to have some sort of plan in place whether it be at your office, your school or at home,” explains Besemer.
Dr. Doug Gouzie is associate professor of geology at Missouri State University. He agrees that people should be prepared and says drills like these are great educational opportunities.
“The New Madrid is the biggest fault zone and most likely source of a major earthquake in Missouri. And when we think about that people get nervous. Missouri is also known as the ‘Cave State’ and they wonder if that means the cave roofs are going to collapse and create sinkholes or other problems,” Gouzie says.
Mother Nature is in good shape, Gouzie explains, and he says the Missouri karst systems are equipped to handle ground movement.
“Often we talk about the earth as full of holes like a sponge that has aquifers and water can move through it in between the grains of the rock. When you think of caves they might be sponges with slightly bigger holes in them. But anybody who’s had a bed with air chambers[for example] knows that you can hit one side of the bed and feel some motion or vibration on the other side, but it doesn’t break the holes open,” explains Gouzie.
Both Gouzie and Besemer suggest having an emergency kit ready at your home, office and in your car. He says taking basic supplies when traveling is always a good idea. Items like water, flashlights, first-aid kits, blankets and snacks should be kept in one central location and easy to retrieve if needed.
The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut takes place October 16th at 10:16 am.
