Local schools to participate in earthquake drills

When shaking began on a cold winter’s night in December 1811, the ground rose and fell, cracks opening deep within.

Large sandstorms formed, destroying farmland in some areas and causing landslides in others.

Along the Mississippi, trees fell into the water, and big waves rolled into boats. The high banks of the rivers collapsed, and entire islands subsequently disappeared.

The earthquake, measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, was one of the strongest ever to hit the central United States, including Indiana, and could be felt as far away as Washington, DC. February 1812. They later became synonymous with the area in which they occurred, the New Madrid Earthquakes, named after the city of New Madrid, in what is now southeastern Missouri.

Now, more than 200 years later, thousands of people – including residents of Johnson County – are participating in an annual nationwide earthquake training designed to educate the public about the importance of taking immediate action when an earthquake occurs. It’s called The Great Tremor in the Central United States, and it will take place Thursday at schools across the county.

Center Grove, Creekside, Indian Creek and Web Elementary Schools; Indian Creek Middle School; and Central Nine Career Center are participating. Edinburgh Schools also participates as the only district in the district registered to conduct district-wide training.

The annual multi-state earthquake drills are conducted by the Central US Seismological Consortium, a partnership between the federal government and the eight most earthquake-affected states in the central US — Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee, according to the organization.

Since 2000, more than 22 earthquakes have affected Indiana. The state has many fault lines, most of them centered in the southwestern part of the state in the Wabash Valley seismic zone, said Polly Root Sturgeon, education outreach coordinator for the Indiana Geological Survey and Waters.

The USGS says seismic zones are the areas where earthquakes tend to be concentrated, and the Wabash region includes parts of southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois.

More than 310,000 Hoosiers are registered to participate in the exercises, from K-12 schools to health care facilities to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security; 265 schools from across the state are participating this year, according to the consortium.

Creekside Elementary School in Franklin has been involved in training for years. The school began getting involved after Principal Mark Hayden saw something about the Great Shock in the Central United States in a school safety email the state sends to teachers, he said.

Many parents don’t realize that earthquakes can happen in Indiana, so exercise teaches kids what to do during an earthquake. Hayden said the exercise is really quick and simple — drop it, cover it and stick it — and by doing it every year, it makes an impact on students.

“Indiana like other places can have earthquakes. This is just another practice we use in case of emergency.”

The last time an earthquake hit Indiana was earlier this year, on June 17, in the western Indiana town of Bloomingdale, about 30 miles north of Terry Hut. The quake registered a magnitude of 3.8 on the Richter scale, and was Level 5, or average, based on the modified Mercalli intensity scale, according to the USGS. The 10-point scale assesses earthquakes by measuring responses such as waking people, moving furniture, chimney damage, and total destruction.

During the June earthquake, a weak tremor was felt as far east as Franklin and Greenwood, according to the USGS.

One of the most memorable earthquakes that has affected Johnson County since 2000 occurred on April 18, 2008, when a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck five miles northwest of Mount Carmel, Illinois – 25 miles southwest of Vincennes.

People felt the earthquake as far north as Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and as far west as Des Moines, Iowa. Weakness in light shaking has been reported throughout Johnson County, according to the USGS.

The Mount Carmel earthquake dominated news coverage on April 19, 2008, and was the main story in the weekend’s issue of the Daily Journal. The people of the county reacted with shock and surprise because many did not believe that an earthquake had occurred here.

Front page 19-20 April 2008 of the Daily Journal.

“I knew it was an earthquake. Edinburgh resident Greg Roberts said at the time that the house shook for 10 seconds.

A Greenwood resident who lived in the village of Greenwood South, a six-story tower block of apartments for seniors until it was demolished in 2013, can feel the building’s transformation after the earthquake.

“At first I thought it was the wind, but there was no wind. Then I started getting ready to go,” said Katie Gigoire, the resident at the time.

Very little damage was reported across the province. Minor damage was reported across Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri, according to the consortium.

As a result of the quake, Sturgeon said some chimneys and roofs had collapsed and tombstones were transformed. The earthquake was followed by six aftershocks.

There is always the possibility of another earthquake in Indiana’s future. However, earthquakes are impossible to predict. Indiana has deeply buried flaws that are constantly under pressure and moving. It is movement that causes earthquakes, Sturgeon said.

“We don’t know, but the geology of the area makes it likely that we will continue to experience earthquakes,” she said.

The central United States, including Indiana, is the third most seismically active in the country, behind Hawaii and Alaska, which many people don’t realize.

People should participate in earthquake drills, practice drop, cover and hold, to prepare for the inevitable. During an earthquake, Sturgeon said, you should fall to the ground, sit under a sturdy table and stabilize until the shaking stops.

She said many of the earthquake safety tips apply to other disasters as well.

Hoosiers should also pack a disaster kit that includes perishable items, similar to what’s suggested to prepare for other disasters, also make a plan with family members about where to meet outside the building after the fact, similar to what’s suggested for when a home fire occurs .

recent earthquakes

Here’s a look at the earthquakes that have affected Indiana since 2008. For brevity, this list only includes earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.5 or higher.

April 18, 2008 – Mount Carmel, Illinois

At 5:36 a.m., a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck about 5 miles northwest of Mount Carmel, Illinois, about 25 miles southwest of Vincennes. The maximum perceived intensity was level 7, or very strong, on the modified Mercalli intensity scale. The earthquake was felt throughout the states of Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, and as far afield as Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

I felt the first earthquake less than half an hour after the first earthquake. At 6:03 a.m., a 2.5-magnitude earthquake was reported three miles northwest of Mount Carmel.

Within 90 minutes, four more aftershocks were reported.

The last quake was felt at 10:14 AM, and it was a 4.7-magnitude earthquake. The maximum perceived intensity was level 7, or very strong, on the modified Mercalli intensity scale.

April 21, 2008 – Mount Carmel, Illinois

At 12:38 a.m., a 4.0-magnitude earthquake struck near Mount Carmel, Illinois, 25 miles southwest of Vincennes.

December 30, 2010 – Greentown, Indiana

At 7:55 a.m., a 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck 5 miles from Greentown, Indiana. No damages or injuries were reported.

August 23, 2011 – Mineral, Virginia

At 1:51 p.m., a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Mineral, Virginia, 84 miles southwest of Washington, D.C., and more than 243 Indiana residents reported feeling the quake.

Jan 26, 2012 – Emma, ​​Indiana

At 5:35 p.m., a 3.0-magnitude earthquake occurred near Emma, ​​Indiana, 15 miles southwest of Sturgis, Michigan. No damages or injuries were reported.

May 10, 2012 – Bicknell, Indiana

At 5:07 p.m., a 2.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Bicknell, Indiana, 10 miles northeast of the Vincennes and 40 miles northwest of Jasper.

Another earthquake was reported less than an hour later at 5:54 pm. There were no reports of damage or injuries due to the two earthquakes.

September 19, 2017 – Albion, Illinois

At 7:47 a.m., a 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck near Albion, Illinois, 28 miles southwest of Vincennes. No damages or injuries were reported.

August 9, 2020 – Sparta, North Carolina

At 8:07 a.m., a 5.1-magnitude earthquake occurred near the Virginia-North Carolina border, 2.5 miles southeast of Sparta, North Carolina. Residents in Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and Michigan reported shaking from the quake.

June 17, 2021 – Bloomingdale, Indiana

At 3:18 p.m., a 3.8-magnitude earthquake occurred near the Indiana-Illinois border, 1.9 miles west of Bloomingdale. Residents in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio reported shaking from the quake.

Source: Indiana Geological and Water Survey; USGS

How to participate

Here’s how to participate in earthquake drills, and how you can learn more about earthquake hazards in Indiana.

The Great Earthquake Exercise in the Central United States

When: 10:21 a.m. Thursday

How to get involved: To learn more about ShakeOut, or to plan your own training at your work or home, visit www.shakeout.org/centralus/index.html

Digging Deeper: Earthquake Preparedness Webinar

What: Dig Deeper is a webinar that looks at seismic hazards in Indiana and teaches people how to prepare for them. The webinar will be live and recorded, and will follow ShakeOut training. The webinar is hosted by the Indiana Geological and Water Survey.

When: 11 a.m. to Thursday noon

How to watch: The webinar will be on Zoom, accessible at iu.zoom.us/j/86239927916

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