Missouri to mark Earthquake Awareness Month with briefings on safety | Local News

Earthquakes may not be the first thing people in Southwest Missouri think of when it comes to disaster preparedness, but the ground does shake in the middle of America, not just on the West Coast.

On Monday morning, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook parts of north-central Oklahoma and south-central Kansas and was centered near Medford, Oklahoma, fewer than 200 miles west of Joplin. It was felt as close as Tulsa and Broken Arrow in Oklahoma and Coffeyville in Kansas, according to the US Geological Survey.

On Nov. 17, a magnitude 4 earthquake shook the ground near Poplar Bluff, about 225 miles east of Joplin, rattling furniture and shaking wall hangings across a wide area of ​​the eastern part of Missouri. That quake was the largest in Missouri since 1991.

According to the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, Missouri and other states in the central US observe Earthquake Preparedness Month in February each year.

Jeff Briggs, earthquake program manager at the State Emergency Management Agency, said earthquakes may not be the first thing people think of when it comes to natural hazards, but they should be on everyone’s radar.

“For two reasons: One is that certainly in recent years there’s been an uptick in earthquake, so it’s more likely that you will feel earthquake shaking these days than it would have been, say, 10 years ago,” Briggs said. “The second answer to that is just because you happen to be based in Southwest Missouri now doesn’t mean you’re always going to be based there, and it doesn’t mean you won’t be traveling to other parts of the country or other parts of the world that are seismically active.

“So I think it benefits everyone to understand the basics and know what to do if an earthquake hits because you never know where you’re going to be. Earthquakes are completely unpredictable; that makes them unique among natural disasters.”

Coming up

As part of Earthquake Awareness Month, the Central US Earthquake Consortium has a two-part Facebook Live series scheduled.

“Earthquake Hazards & Safety” will be presented at 10 am Thursday at www.facebook.com/events/1054436731768476. “Earthquake Hazards, Preparedness & Mitigation. Financial Preparedness” will be presented at 10 am Feb. 10, at www.facebook.com/events/474481000942870.

Briggs said the New Madrid region of southeast Missouri used to be the most active seismic zone east of the Rocky Mountains, but Oklahoma, with the advent of wastewater injection from oil wells into spent oil and natural wells, has taken the title.

The New Madrid area saw some of the strongest earthquakes in the continental United States with earthquakes in 1811 and 1812; the quakes destroyed buildings, rang church bells hundreds of miles away and briefly caused the Mississippi River to run backward.

What to do

According to SEMA, when shaking starts, the best way to stay safe is to “drop, cover and hold on” to protect yourself from falling debris.

Drop to your knees, cover your head, get under a desk or table if possible and hold on until the shaking stops. Experts say that falling debris is the most common source of injuries in developed countries with modern structures.

It’s also important to prepare before the shaking begins by taking some simple steps:

• Bolt bookcases to wall studs, install strong latches on cupboards and strap the water heater to wall studs — if it tips over, it could start a fire or gas leak, and you could lose a valuable source of water.

• Secure overhead lighting fixtures and move heavy objects from high shelves to lower ones. Many injuries in an earthquake are caused by this falling debris.

• Put together an emergency kit, including a flashlight, first aid kit, radio, drinking water and blankets. A major earthquake could leave families without utilities for weeks.

• Develop a family communication plan. Identify a relative living at least 100 miles away; everyone can call to check in to tell family they’re safe.

• Know how to turn off the gas and water.

• Find out if your house is covered for earthquake damage. Most homeowner insurance does not include earthquake coverage; it must be separately purchased.

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