In April of this year, communities throughout the CUSEC Member States (Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee) and Associate States of Georgia, Oklahoma, and South Carolina, took part in the largest earthquake preparedness effort in this region’s history, the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut. With planning taking place over the past two years, the ShakeOut was a multi-state earthquake drill where participants simultaneous practiced the recommended action to take during an earthquake: Drop, Cover and Hold On . The event was open to the public and was designed to encourage people to think about how they would react if an earthquake were to strike and prompt them to take preventative measures before one actually hits.
Leading up to the ShakeOut, which was scheduled for April 28 at 10:15a.m., there were a number of storms, floods, and devastating tornadoes which caused widespread destruction and killed hundreds of people in several states. Many who originally intended to participate in the ShakeOut were forced to alter their plans because of the real-world disasters. Those who could continue with their plans were encouraged to do so. CUSEC continues to offer our thoughts and prayers to those who have been affected by these tragic events. For those who were able, many drills were held at 10:15 a.m. on Thursday, April 28. There were several media and press conference events held at locations in the states, and in all, more than 3 Million across nearly 10,000 sites were expected to participate in the event.
The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut has been modeled after similar efforts in California, where ShakeOut drills have been held each year since 2008. CUSEC has worked closely with the Southern California Earthquake Center and the Earthquake Country Alliance to develop the central U.S. ShakeOut effort. It was also linked event of the New Madrid Bicentennial and the National Level (Earthquake) Exercise 2011 (NLE 2011) and was coordinated by CUSEC, along with our Member and Associate States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners throughout the country. There are too many names to list individually, but we would like to thank the thousands of individuals in the region for their efforts in making this event a success. To read more about the ShakeOut, including stories and news about the recent drills held throughout the region,visit www.shakeout.org/centralus
