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IEMA encourages people to prepare for earthquakes
Preparedness topic for February
Interactive tools identify earthquake hazards in
homes and schools, offer methods for reducing risks
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[February 07, 2014]
SPRINGFIELD — During the winter
of 1811-12, some of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in North
America rocked the central U.S., including parts of southern
Illinois. The earthquakes were each estimated to be around magnitude
8.0, strong enough to ring church bells 1,000 miles away in Boston.
While the affected area was largely rural at the time, a similar
earthquake today would cause widespread devastation throughout the
region.
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 Recognizing this seismic risk, the Illinois Emergency Management
Agency is promoting earthquake preparedness throughout February as
part of its 2014 preparedness campaign.
"While it comes as a surprise to many people, Illinois has a very
real risk for a major earthquake," said IEMA Director Jonathon
Monken. "We're working to increase awareness of the earthquake
potential in Illinois, as well as how people can protect themselves
and reduce damage to their homes."
Monken said people need to remember to "Drop,
Cover, and Hold On" when they feel the ground shaking. The
phrase prompts people to "Drop" down to the floor; take "Cover"
under a sturdy desk, table or other furniture; and "Hold On" to the
furniture item and be prepared to move with it until the shaking
ends.
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IEMA has developed interactive tools to identify earthquake
hazards in homes and schools and provide information on how to
reduce these risks. The earthquake home and school hazard hunts
are available on the
Ready Illinois website at
http://www.illinois.gov/ready/
hazards/Pages/Earthquake.aspx.
The website also contains earthquake preparedness tips and
information about the New Madrid and Wabash Valley seismic zones
that affect Illinois. For additional preparedness information,
follow IEMA on
Facebook and Twitter.
[Text from
Illinois
Emergency Management Agency file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information] |
