FRANKFORT, Ky. – (Oct 8, 2015) – Following FEMA’s “National Preparedness Month” in September, individuals and communities throughout 14 mid-west states will participate in the fifth annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Earthquake Drill.
Held annually on the third Thursday of October, the ShakeOut International Day of Action is set for Thursday, Oct. 15, 2015 at 10:15 a.m. local time. During the self-led drill, participants practice how to “Drop, Cover, and Hold On.” Endorsed by emergency officials and first responders, the safe response to an earthquake is to:
– DROP to the ground
– Take COVER under a sturdy table or desk if possible, protecting your head and neck
– HOLD ON until the shaking stops
The April 2015 M7.8 Nepal earthquake and M8.3 September 16, 2015 earthquake near Illapel, Chile serve as reminders that large earthquakes can occur with little or no warning. Citizens in the central U.S. are not immune to earthquakes. The region is home to several active seismic zones capable of producing damaging earthquakes, including the New Madrid and Wabash Valley Seismic Zones.
According to Kentucky Emergency Management Director Michael Dossett, “While damaging earthquakes here may be few in number when compared to other areas, they can occur at any time, wherever we work, live, or travel. Everyone, everywhere should know how to protect themselves during an earthquake.”
The ShakeOut is free and open to the public. ShakeOut participants include individuals, schools, businesses, local and state government agencies, and many other groups. To take part in the ShakeOut, individuals and organizations are asked to join the drill by registering at: www.shakeout.org. Once registered, participants receive regular information on how to plan their drill and become better prepared for earthquakes and other disasters.
To date, 2.73million people are registered to participate in this regional event. Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills will occur throughout most of the nation and in several countries worldwide. Globally, more than 26 million people are expected to participate in earthquake drills and many participants will take extra steps to become more prepared for other disasters.
The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is being coordinated by Kentucky Emergency Management, 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 other partners.
For additional information on the ShakeOut and Kentucky’s Earthquake Preparedness Program, visit http://kyem.ky.gov/Preparedness/Pages/Earthquake.aspx where you can like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and go to www.shakeout.org to register to participate.