Great Central U.S. Shakeout earthquake drill happens Thursday

The World’s Largest Earthquake Drill will take place at 10:19 a.m. on Thursday, October 19, and local emergency agencies encourage families, schools and businesses to participate. 

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is part of an international event involving millions of participants from more than 40 states and several countries. The goal is to improve preparedness and draw attention to the earthquake hazards that exist in western Kentucky and southern Illinois.

Most local school systems will be included among more than a million people in Kentucky, Illinois, Tennessee and Missouri that have already registered online to participate in the annual exercise. Local emergency managers hope to increase that number as the drill approaches. 

Earthquakes can occur at anytime, anywhere and without warning. While we often associate earthquakes with the west coast, quakes can and do occur closer to home. Illinois and Kentucky are both part of two active seismic zones, the New Madrid Seismic Zone and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. ShakeOut provides the opportunity to practice what you would do in the event of an earthquake.


Shakeout Participation is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. REGISTER your home, school, business or organization on the ShakeOut website:  www.ShakeOut.org/centralus. Once registered, your point of contact will receive important information about earthquakes and preparedness.

2. MAKE A PLAN. Build an emergency supply kit for your family. Talk to your family members about what you should do in the event of an earthquake. Secure heavy items in your home like bookcases, refrigerators, televisions and objects that hang on the wall. Evaluate your home for structural issues.

3. PRACTICE "DROP, COVER and HOLD ON” on Thursday morning. 
    Drop to the ground onto your hands and knees. 
    Cover your head and neck with one arm to protect yourself from falling objects.
    Hold On to a sturdy table or desk until the shaking is done.
    These are the recommended actions to protect yourself during an earthquake.



Additional earthquake preparedness and mitigation information is available on the following websites:  http://www.ready.illinois.gov and http://www.cusec.org.