Emergency Management Officials Urge South Carolina Residents to Prepare for Earthquakes

Columbia, South Carolina (WCSC) – What most Americans know to do to escape a fire, but emergency management officials are urging South Carolina residents to know what to do in the event of an earthquake: Land, cover, and wait.

These three steps were practiced around the world Thursday morning, as part of Great ShakeOut, a global earthquake safety exercise.

More than 350,000 South Carolina residents signed up to participate, including nearly 100 people from businesses, county governments, first responders and other groups who participated in the state’s emergency operations center in Lexington County.

“The more exercise you do, the more it becomes second nature,” said Leslie Chapman-Henderson, president and CEO of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes.

According to emergency management officials, knowing what to do in the event of an earthquake should be second nature to South Carolina residents.

“You’ll only have seconds to protect yourself during a major earthquake, and the ground is shaking so hard,” said Derek Baker, South Carolina Department of Emergency Management Communications Officer.

If this happens, people should fall to the floor, hide under a desk or sturdy table or crawl against a wall if the table isn’t nearby, and hold on until the shaking stops.

For people using equipment such as walkers and wheelchairs, the key is lock, cover, and grab.

If you’re indoors during an earthquake, they tell you to stay inside instead of trying to run outside.

“Almost anywhere in South Carolina can be prone to an earthquake, and people need to know what to do,” Baker said.

The Chapman-Henderson organization, also known as FLASH, organizes workshops like the one at the state’s Emergency Operations Center across the country.

The last time one was held in South Carolina was over a decade ago, until this year when more than 80 earthquakes have been recorded so far in the state.

“The activity in South Carolina certainly raised awareness, and I think it also boosted people’s appreciation of the need to plan and prepare,” Chapman Henderson said.

Emergency management officials say people should also prepare their homes and businesses for what might happen after a major earthquake, pointing to the 1886 Charleston earthquake that destroyed thousands of buildings and killed 60 people.

“What a lot of people might not think about is how many fires the earthquake caused,” Becker said. “You think about broken utility lines, gas leaks, even a falling hot water heater can cause serious damage to your home. Any number of things can result from a major earthquake, not only does the ground shake violently, but you have to take into account all of these effects. high school too.”

This year’s earthquake in South Carolina, particularly in the Elgin area of ​​Kershaw County, has raised questions about whether it is escalating into a much larger one.

Becker said seismologists aren’t too concerned, but at the end of the day, he noted, experts aren’t able to predict when an earthquake will occur, so there’s no way to know.

SCEMD also recently launched an interactive version of the South Carolina Earthquake Guide, featuring resources, tips, and even myths and facts about earthquakes. People can access it by visiting the following website: zellake.sc.

Copyright 2022 WCSC. All rights reserved.

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