Area schools to practice drills for annual 'Shake Out'

Area school districts will be participating in a State-wide tornado drill on Tuesday, February 7 that will actually fall on the 200th Anniversary of the Great New Madrid Earthquake.

Public Schools in the immediate coverage area to include Southland, Senath-Hornersville, Kennett, Holcomb, and Delta C-7 will usher their students into their "safe place" on each of the respective campuses at approximately 10:15 a.m., in-line with the state-wide suggested drill plan in which more than 390,000 Missourians have already registered to participate in.

According to Kennett Public Schools which presently features a link to the "Great Central U.S. ShakeOut" website, the state-wide event is apart of a nine-state regional earthquake drill that encourages all participants in Missouri to "Drop, Cover and Hold On" simultaneously. In addition to school children, families and businesses or organizations are encouraged to take part by the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, which sponsors and coordinates the Missouri state-wide effort.

Director Paul Parmenter commented on the event's participation rates saying, "I am happy to see so many Missourians participating in this important drill."

"Unlike other disasters, an earthquake occurs without warning, so it's vital to know what to do ahead of time," he explained. "The ShakeOut drill is the best way to learn how to protect yourself and your family, and it only takes a minute."

Assistant Superintendent Brandon Jones is coordinating the event at the Kennett campuses, with input and assistance from campus administrators and the district's Director of Health Services, Deb Cook. As a team, the group will finalize last-minute plans prior to the designated date and carry-out their regular earthquake drill collectively on the day of, as will other schools taking part in the emergency preparedness event. As explained by Parmenter on behalf of SEMA, the drill realistically only lasts approximately one-minute. Earthquake experts suggest that such drills are the "best way" to prepare to protect yourself and others in the event of a disaster.

The State of Missouri understands the severity of such a disaster. It is one of nine states within the New Madrid Seismic Zone and finds itself participating in this drill on the anniversary of the largest earthquake in state history, according to SEMA.

The earthquake being referenced was deemed "The Great New Madrid Earthquake" which shook itself to national recognition on February 7, 1812 as it caused so much devastation, particularly right here in Southeast Missouri, that it even reversed the course of the Mississippi River for a short period of time, and was said to be felt as far away as the East Coast.

The New Madrid Seismic Zone is actually centered in southeast Missouri, and has been labeled as the most active earthquake zone, located east of the Rocky Mountains, in the U.S.

If you log on to the Internet website, www.sema.dps.mo.gov, you can learn more about this historical and devastating quake, in addition to the state's overall earthquake history and geology. At this site, there is also a short, informational video that demonstrates the "Drop, Cover, Hold On" drill which will be utilized by all area school children participating in the upcoming state-wide drill. This video features fourth grade students in Missouri setting the example. A ShakeOut drill manual with instructions for four different levels of drill participation is also available for teachers, administrators, business owners, civic leaders or families who want to be more prepared.

To go directly to a link of what local students will most likely be doing their individual school's drill log on directly to this video highlight at http://cdn.moeqmedia.com/GreatCentralUSShakeOut-HQ.mov. Most students who are in classroom settings will be encouraged to drop down, underneath their desks and will be holding on to the desk legs, covered for added protection from debris that could potentially be falling during earthquake activity. To learn more about the "Great Central U.S. ShakeOut" log on to http://www.shakeout.org/centralus.