Following FEMA’s “National Preparedness Month” in September, Wabash Valley College, individuals, and communities throughout the Midwest will participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut earthquake drill.
Held annually on the third Thursday of October, the International ShakeOut Day is set for Thursday, October 17, 2019. 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 where you are, onto your hands and knees. This position protects you from being knocked down and also allows you to stay low and crawl to shelter if nearby.
COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand
· If a sturdy table or desk is nearby, crawl underneath it for shelter
· If no shelter is nearby, crawl next to an interior wall (away from windows)
· Stay on your knees; bend over to protect vital organs
HOLD ON until shaking stops
· Under shelter: hold on to it with one hand; be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts
· No shelter: hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands.
Residents 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.