For the second straight year, Missouri will be participating in the Great Central U.S. Shake Out on Tuesday, February 7th at 10:15 AM. Missouri is one of nine states that will participate in this earthquake drill this year, which is designed to encourage people to know how to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" in the event of an earthquake.
On Tuesday morning, citizens are encouraged to take a minute to practice the three steps that make up the drill:
DROP to the groundtake COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or tableHOLD ON to it until the shaking stops
SGCHD is one of many agencies, departments, and organizations that will take part in the Shake Out. About 400,000 Missourians have registered to participate in this event, including many who live in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Since earthquakes occur without warning, knowing now what actions to take is vital. Most casualties from earthquakes do not come from buildings collapsing on people, they are from items inside the buildings (bookcases, pictures, light fixtures, etc.) falling on them. Finding cover quickly during an earthquake does save lives! More information on the Great Central U.S. Shake Out is available at http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/.