Has the earth moved beneath your feet lately? When I checked the USGS site this week, there were 935 earthquakes recorded for the past eight days in the 48 conterminous states, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Those earthquakes in the conterminous (great word!) states occurred from California to Massachusetts.
The 2012 Great ShakeOuts begin in February with the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut. On February 7, more than one million people will participate in the ShakeOut. Other states, British Columbia, Guam, and New Zealand will hold their ShakeOut events later in the year. Regardless of when the event is held, all have a common message. When you feel that first jolt, immediately Drop, Cover and Hold On.
What can you do to help your communities?
- If you live in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, or Alabama, encourage your audiences to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut— it is free and open to the general public.
- Teach audiences how they can become resilient and resistant to earthquakes. Youth groups can focus on science (what causes earthquakes) and staying safe during an earthquake. Adults can be shown how to taking steps to protect property and homes from an earthquake can actually be good practice for normal times.
- Partner with EMA (select your state and drill down to find the local office) or Public Safety department to host an earthquake drill.
- Model good preparedness practices. Make sure your home, office, family and colleages know the drill and are prepared.
