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Last updated on Friday, September 22, 2017
(UNDATED) - The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is four weeks away - October 19, 2017, at 10:19 a.m. - and the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) is encouraging Hoosiers to register and participate in this drill promoting earthquake safety preparation and awareness.
Indiana is exposed to a serious threat of earthquakes along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, located 180 miles southwest of Evansville, and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone, which encompasses parts of southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana.
The 3.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred this week in Albion, Illinois, near the Indiana border, is a good reminder that a major earthquake along one of these seismic zones is not a matter of if, but when.
The ShakeOut is an opportunity to practice proper safety measures in the event of an earthquake, and participating is simple and only takes a few minutes. Here's how it works: on October 19 at 10:19 a.m., participants should drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy table or desk and hold on as if a major earthquake were happening.
The days leading up to the ShakeOut are a great time to check houses, workplaces or schools for potential earthquake hazards and to create a preparedness kit that can be used for a variety of situations, not just earthquakes. Preparedness kits should include water and food for all household members, an all-hazard weather radio, first-aid supplies, flashlights and batteries, medication, items for pets and extra clothing. For information on preparedness kits and emergency preparedness, visit GetPrepared.in.gov.
To learn more about how individuals, families or organizations can participate in the 2017 Great Central U.S. ShakeOut and to register, visit shakeout.org/centralus. Registration is free and open to everyone.
The ShakeOut is the largest earthquake drill in the central United States, and it's led by local emergency management agencies, IDHS, the Indiana Geological Survey, the Indiana Department of Education, the Central United States Earthquake Consortium, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Geological Survey.
More than 2 million people in the central U.S. region have registered so far, and Indiana is currently in the lead with more than 480,000 registrants. Other states participating include Alabama, Arkansas, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Last year, more than 660,000 Hoosiers register for the drill.
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