FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
This Thursday, on October 17, 2013 at 10:17a.m, nearly 2 million people across seven states and the District of Columbia will take part in the second Great SouthEast ShakeOut. The ShakeOut is a regional earthquake drill in which participants simultaneously practice the recommended action during an earthquake. This action is known as “Drop, Cover, and Hold On”, which means to:
- DROP to the ground
- Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table, or cover your head/neck with your arms and
- HOLD ON until the shaking stops
The states of Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia are encouraging their schools, businesses, organizations, government agencies, communities, and households to participate in the activity. Nationwide, more than 15 million people in 43 states and territories are expected to participate in Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills this Thursday.
The ShakeOut follows the second anniversary of the August 23, 2011 Mineral, Virginia earthquake which caused damage in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia, and was felt by an estimated 100 million people. While the primary activity of the ShakeOut is based upon a drill procedure that is similar to a fire or tornado drill, participants are encouraged to take actions to become better prepared for all disasters. This could include:
- Securing heavy items to prevent them from causing injuries during an earthquake
- Creating an emergency plan
- Updating emergency supply kits
- Talking with their families and neighbors about emergency preparedness
Interested citizens, schools, communities, businesses, etc. are encouraged to visit www.shakeout.org/southeast to register to participate in the drill. On the website, many resources are available for participants to use during their drills including drill manuals, videos, audio drill broadcasts, earthquake scenarios, and more.
The Great SouthEast ShakeOut is being coordinated by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, the states of Delaware, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the District of Columbia, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners.
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