Great Central U.S. ShakeOut Set for Oct. 18
States participating in the ShakeOut are Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
About 2.7 million people have registered to participate in the Oct. 18 Great Central U.S. ShakeOut earthuake preparedness drill. Tennessee is among 14 central and southern U.S. states taking part, and so far more than 411,000 Tennessee participants are registered for the ShakeOut, which will be the eighth annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut drill.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has been working to register businesses, communities, individuals, organizations, and schools for the ShakeOut drill so they can learn how to prevent damage and injuries in the event of a catastrophic earthquake. "Major earthquakes have impacted Tennessee, having major impacts to our state, even reshaping its geography, and can still happen at any time," TEMA Director Patrick Sheehan said. "Preparing is simple if you take the time now, before the ground starts shaking, to learn how you can protect yourself, your family, your business, and your community."
During the drill, participants will practice the Drop, Cover, and Hold On technique, which is the proper self-protection measure in an earthquake:
- DROP to the ground.
- Take COVER under a sturdy desk or table, or cover your head and neck with your arms.
- HOLD ON until the shaking stops.
The ShakeOut is free and open to the public. To participate, individuals and organizations can register at www.shakeout.org/centralus.
TEMA is coordinating the ShakeOut in Tennessee with the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and its Member and Associate States, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other partners. Other states participating in the ShakeOut are Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, Missouri, Ohio, and Oklahoma.