Forrest City -
Talk of "The Big One," an earthquake of great magnitude that would cause widespread damage to the area, has been circulating for years. And while many people expect that it will happen, most are not prepared.
The annual central U.S. ShakeOut hopes to make people more aware of what could happen and be prepared in case it does. The ShakeOut is an earthquake drill that is organized and coordinated by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and dozens of other partners, according to a FEMA press release.
The drill is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 10:15 a.m. At that time, the National Weather Service plans to send a tone-alert to the NOAA Weather Radio, telling participants it is time to "Drop, Cover and Hold On." People are being encouraged to drop to the ground, take cover by getting under a sturdy desk or table and hold on to it until the shaking stops.
Shane Dallas, St. Francis County Office of Emergency Management coordinator, said it is a good time to think about and practice what to do during an actual earthquake or any disaster.
"I would certainly encourage our local businesses and schools, even people who are at home, to participate in the U.S. ShakeOut drill," Dallas said. "We've talked about a major earthquake hitting the area for 20, 30 years. It hasn't happened yet, but we've had tornadoes, ice storms and straight-line winds during that time. Most of the preparations for an earthquake are the same for those disasters."
Dallas offered some tips on general disaster preparedness.
"If we are hit with a major disaster, and a major city like Memphis is also affected, we will be vying for the same help as they are. That means that we won't get help as quickly as they will. You need to have a disaster kit prepared that will provide you with food and water for at least three days. You need to have first aid supplies in the kit. You also need to have a plan on where you will meet in your home or office if something does happen. In an earthquake, they tell you to get under a desk or table, or get in a doorway for protection and not to move until it is over. Knowing ahead of time where you are going and what you are doing helps because you may have just seconds to follow your plan."
Dallas said earthquakes are just like any other disaster, "The more prepared you are in general, the better off you and your family will be," he said.
For more information about the U.S. ShakeOut, visit www.shakeout.org/centralus. For more information on earthquake preparedness tips, visit www.ready.gov.
