Submitted by Jill Temples
SMT Writer
Jefferson City, Missouri - There is still time to join the more than 370,000 Missourians registered to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut earthquake preparedness drill on October 17th at 10:17 a.m. More than 2.3 million people will participate nationwide in October!
The drill teaches the "Drop, Cover and Hold On" protective actions to take in the event of an earthquake. The states of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee are also participating in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut. These states will be among more than 30 U.S. states and territories conducting earthquake drills on the same day.
During the ShakeOut, residents should practice the “Drop, Cover and Hold On” technique for 60 seconds:
DROP to the ground
Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, and
HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops
The “Drop, Cover and Hold On” technique is considered the best way to protect yourself in an earthquake. You can register for the earthquake drill at www.shakeout.org/centralus/. October 17 is the anniversary of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in California ,which killed 62 people and damaged thousands of buildings.
Why should you participate?
We all must get better prepared for major earthquakes, and practice how to protect ourselves when they happen. The purpose of the ShakeOut is to help people and organizations do both. You could be anywhere when an earthquake strikes: at home, at work, at school or even on vacation.
Because many Missourians live within the New Madrid Seismic Zone—one of the most active seismic zones in the country—each February Missouri observes Earthquake Awareness Month. On Feb. 7, 1812, Missouri was rocked by one of the largest earthquakes ever to hit the continental United States. Centered in New Madrid in southeast Missouri, the earthquake altered the flow of the Mississippi River, turned rich farmland into fields of sand and destroyed countless structures. People on the East Coast of the United States felt shaking and church bells reportedly rang as far away as South Carolina.
The risk of another large earthquake continues, and today the New Madrid Seismic Zone includes many population centers. Preparing and planning to respond to a major quake are essential!
How do you sign up?
For additional information about the ShakeOut drills and materials, visit http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/
Show-Me ShakeOut Poster Contest
Third, fourth and fifth grade students across Missouri can also start working on their entries for the fourth annual "Show-Me ShakeOut" poster contest. Students are encouraged to create a classroom poster promoting the ShakeOut and earthquake safety. This contest is sponsored by the State Emergency Management Agency and the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission.
The statewide contest winners will receive $50 gift cards and emergency preparedness kits courtesy of ABNA Engineering, Inc. of St. Louis, Central Electric Power Cooperative of Jefferson City, the University of Missouri-Columbia’s Department of Geological Sciences, and the Southeast Missouri Chapter of the American Red Cross. Winning posters will be displayed on SEMA's website and featured at earthquake awareness events during 2014.
Contest Guidelines:
-Each school will select one winning poster for each of the three grade levels.
-Posters may be scanned or digitally photographed and submitted electronically in JPEG, GIF, PDF or PNG format. Schools should retain the original poster if a submission is made electronically.
-All submissions must include the name of the school, name and age of the student, name of school principal, and name of classroom teacher.
-All posters must be submitted to SEMA by Jan. 16, 2014 to be eligible.
The school principal or lead teacher must submit or mail poster entries to:
Steve Besemer
State Emergency Management Agency
P. O. Box 116, 2302 Militia Drive
Jefferson City, MO 65102
E-Mail: steve.besemer@sema.dps.mo.gov
-Winners from each statewide grade level will be notified by Feb. 4, 2014.
-Winning results will be posted on the SEMA Web site (sema.dps.mo.gov) and announced in press releases.
