International ShakeOut Day is October 19th 2017

This Thursday, 10/19/2017 at 10:19 AM, the City of St. Louis will ShakeOut. The ShakeOut Drill is an annual exercise giving residents, students, employees and others the opportunity to practice what they would do in the event of an earthquake.  City Emergency Management Commissioner Gary Christmann said, “We encourage everyone to Drop, Cover and Hold On.” Worldwide more than 52.3 million people will participate in the ShakeOut Drill. “It is our hope that city residents will join in the drill and work towards being more prepared for earthquakes and other local hazards,” Christmann said.

Several city buildings and departments have participated in the ShakeOut Drill for the past couple of years. Participation continues to grow, engaging employees in the discussion of emergency preparedness at work and in their homes. In previous years employees have used recordings of earthquakes from preparedness websites to simulate what might be observed during a tremor.

Most earthquake-related injuries result from collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects. During the drill, look around and see what objects could fall during a potential earthquake, and make sure to secure or move those items after the drill. Take time to discuss your family emergency plan with your children and check the expiration dates on items in your emergency kit.

All 50 states have some risk of earthquake. The ShakeOut began in California in 2008 and has spread internationally in recent years. Historically, Missouri had a series of catastrophic earthquakes from 1811-1812, but we have many earthquakes of varying magnitudes each year. Government agencies and first responders plan and train for the likelihood of another catastrophic earthquake regularly.

You can learn more about the ShakeOut Drill by visiting www.shakeout.org

You can find earthquake preparedness information at www.ready.gov/earthquakes

 

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