On 206th anniversary of major quake in New Madrid
Seismic Zone, IEMA Encourages People to Prepare for Earthquakes
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[February 09, 2018]
SPRINGFIELD - Some of
the largest earthquakes ever recorded in North America rocked the
mostly rural central U.S. between December 1811 and February 1812,
including parts of southern Illinois. The strongest earthquakes in
this series were estimated to be around magnitude 8.0, and were felt
as far away as the East Coast. |
Today, this multi-state region is heavily populated
and highly developed. A similar earthquake now would cause
widespread devastation to buildings, utilities, roads, bridges and
other infrastructure, as well as result in many injuries and deaths.
While damage would be less severe in other parts of Illinois,
utility outages, road closures and disruptions to deliveries of
essential supplies would significantly impact the lives of most
Illinoisans.
Recognizing the earthquake risk in Illinois, the Illinois Emergency
Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies
will promote earthquake preparedness throughout February.
“In addition to the New Madrid Seismic Zone, where
the 1811-12 quakes occurred, southern Illinois is also adjacent to
the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone,” said IEMA Interim Director Jennifer
Ricker. “We can’t predict when the next devastating earthquake in
this region will happen, but we can help people learn how to protect
themselves and reduce damage to their homes.” [to top of second
column] |
Ricker said people need to remember to “Drop, Cover and Hold On”
when they feel the ground shaking: “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.
There are several steps people can take to help prevent injuries and property
damage at home, such as strapping water heaters and large appliances to wall
studs, anchoring overhead fans and light fixtures, and securing cabinet doors
with latches. IEMA offers several short videos on do-it-yourself earthquake home
mitigation projects at
https://www.illinois.gov/iema/ Mitigation/Pages/EarthquakeMitigation Videos.aspx.
For additional earthquake preparedness information, visit
www.Ready.Illinois.gov
[Illinois Emergency
Management Agency] |