WEST PLAINS, Mo.– Missouri State University-West Plains will offer an educational program about earthquakes and earthquake preparedness and actively take part in the multi-state drill for the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut April 28.
“More than 2 million persons in 11 states are registered to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut,” said Dr. Herb Lunday, dean of student services. “Because of earthquakes currently in the news, combined with our proximity to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, we appreciate the opportunity to provide information and training to the campus community and the public.”
The largest such drill ever conducted in the U.S., the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is a broad-based outreach program that involves partnership with the media and public advocacy by hundreds of partners. This event is being organized by the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) and the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The ShakeOut will be centered around a simultaneous “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” drill at 10:15 a.m. CDT Thursday, April 28, 2011. “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” is the recommended action to take in the event of an earthquake.
The evening prior to the drill, Missouri State-West Plains will host a free, public program, “EARTHQUAKES: We’re safe…aren’t we?,” at 7 p.m. Wednesday April 27, in room 112 of Melton Hall, 129 Garfield Ave. Presenters include Steve Bassett, manager of emergency services and EMS at Ozarks Medical Center, and Damon Bassett, instructor of geography, geology and planning at Missouri State University in Springfield. They will discuss what earthquakes are and what causes them; the New Madrid Seismic Zone, what happened with the 1811 earthquake in this region, and what may happen in the future; the possible effects of a large earthquake on south-central Missouri and the local area; and how individuals should plan and prepare for such an event. Everyone is invited.
“The New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) is an active earthquake zone now,” said Associate Professor of Geology/Geography John H. Fohn II, one of the coordinators of the university’s ShakeOut activities. “Because the severe quakes of 1811-1812 seem so long ago to us, it is sometimes easy to dismiss the seriousness of our geographical location; however, this is a very active zone that will demonstrate it’s power in the future. The university’s April 27 program and drill on April 28 should help to increase everyone’s awareness of this reality.”
According to CUSEC organizers, a key aspect of the ShakeOut is the integration of earthquake research and the lessons learned from social science research about why people get prepared for disasters. The result is a “teachable moment” on par with having an actual earthquake (often followed by increased interest in getting ready for earthquakes). The ShakeOut creates the sense of urgency that is needed for people, organizations, and communities to get prepared, to practice what to do to be safe, and to learn what plans need to be improved, organizers said in a news release.
Scientists estimate that there is a 25 to 40 percent probability of a damaging earthquake occurring in the central U.S. within the next 50 years, CUSEC organizers said. The ShakeOut is designed to help individuals and communities in the region get ready for damaging earthquakes, practice how to protect themselves (Drop, Cover, and Hold On), and to prevent disasters from becoming catastrophes.
The university’s participation in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is being coordinated by the Campus Safety Committee.
For more information about the university’s ShakeOut activities, contact Lunday at 417-255-7255. For more information about the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, visit the event website at http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/.