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Annual earthquake drill scheduled for October 17

Great Central U.S. ShakeOut encourages Illinoisans to “Drop, Cover, Hold On!”

information provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (October 12, 2019) – The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is encouraging all residents, schools, businesses, and other organizations to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut on October 17, 2019, at 10:17am. The goal of this “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” drill is to draw attention to the earthquake hazard that exists in Illinois, across the country, and around the world.

The annual ShakeOut is an international event involving millions of participants from more than 40 states and territories and several countries. To date, millions of people have registered worldwide, including more than two million people in the central United States.

Illinois is sandwiched between two active seismic zones: the New Madrid Seismic Zone and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. Earthquakes can occur at anytime, anywhere, and without warning. On September 27, a 3.27 magnitude earthquake shook parts of the Missouri bootheel. On Monday, September 30, seven earthquakes occurred in one day, according to United States Geological Survey reports.

Geologist are warning residents that while we often associate earthquakes with the west coast, quakes can and do occur closer to home. This underscores the importance of preparedness. An earthquake can strike at work, at home, at school, or while on vacation. ShakeOut provides the opportunity to practice what to do in the event of an earthquake.

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

  1. REGISTER your home, school, 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. INFORM the members of your home, school, or organization of your participation plans.
  3. PRACTICE “DROP, COVER and HOLD ON” on October 17, 2019, at 10:17am (10/17 at 10:17):
    • 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 take during earthquake shaking.

Additional earthquake preparedness and mitigation information is available at www.ready.illinois.gov and www.cusec.org.

The Lansing Journal
The Lansing Journalhttps://thelansingjournal.com
The Lansing Journal publishes news releases from state, county, and local officials who provide information that impacts local community life. The particular contributor of each post is indicated in the byline.