Missouri's+preparedness

How can we better prepare for an earthquake and other natural disasters.
Earthquakes dont kill people buildings and falling items do [] nuclear power plants near Fulton, Missouri say they are prepared. A short video clip from the St.Louis news center. [] Missouri participates in a state wide drill every month. Procedures have been well communicated to the public about how to keep safe during a tornado.
 * How we are prepared:**

__**How to better prepare:**__ __**flood:**__ __**http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/floods.html**__

__**Missouri Emergency Officials encourage all homes and business be prepared for and earthquake and encourage to take part in the National Shake Out Drill April 28th at 10:15**__ __**Drop, Cover, and Hold ON**__ Missouri has been hit with one of the most powerful earthquakes in the continental US it took place in southeast Missouri along the New Madrid fault "The earthquakes altered the flow of the Mississippi River, turned rich farmland into fields of sand and destroyed countless structures. People on the East Coast of the United States felt shaking and church bells reportedly rang as far away as New England!" New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) includes many population centers. Preparing and planning for a response to a major quake are essential.

State and local governments, voluntary agencies, businesses and the National Guard in Missouri and the seven other New Madrid Seismic Zone states, and federal government agencies will participate in several events during 2011 that are designed to help ensure a coordinated, effective response to the challenges a major earthquake would pose. Families and individuals are also urged to take advantage of the resources on the Missouri Earthquake Preparedness 2011 page to make sure they are prepared for an earthquake. Good starting points are Missouri’s hree of the largest earthquakes experienced in the continental United States occurred in the New Madrid Seismic Zone in 1811-12. Southeast Missouri continues to experience over 200 measurable minor earthquakes each year. Occasionally, residents can feel some of those minor earthquakes. Because a New Madrid Seismic Zone earthquake cannot be predicted, it is important to take steps to learn about earthquakes and to protect yourself. The following preparedness tips can help you survive an earthquake:

What to do before an earthquake:

 * Identify safe spots and danger zones in each room.
 * Buy a large garbage can to store bottled drinking water, canned and dried non-perishable food that does not need to be cooked (tuna and crackers, for example), a can opener, flashlights, first aid supplies, battery powered radio, seasonal clothing and blankets. It may also become your “go kit” if you need to leave your home.
 * Know how to shut off all utilities.
 * Be sure your house is firmly anchored to its foundation.
 * Anchor overhead lighting fixtures.
 * Store bottled foods, glass, china and other breakable items on low shelves or in cabinets that can fasten shut. Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
 * Brace bookshelves and heavy furniture to walls to keep them from toppling.
 * Repair defective electrical wiring.
 * Install flexible lines to water heaters, gas stoves and other appliances.
 * Securely fasten water heaters and gas appliances to wall studs.
 * Buy earthquake insurance.

What to do during an earthquake:

 * If indoors – take cover under sturdy furniture or against an inside wall. **“Drop, Cover and Hold On”** until the shaking stops. This means DROP down to the floor, take COVER and protect your head and neck with your arms, and HOLD ON to the sturdy piece of furniture you are under until the shaking stops.
 * If outdoors – stay there. Move away from buildings, streetlights and utility wires.
 * In a high-rise building – take cover under sturdy furniture away from windows and outside walls. Stay in the building on the same floor. An evacuation may not be necessary. Wait for instructions from safety personnel. Do not use elevators.
 * In a vehicle – stop as quickly as safety permits, and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses or utility wires.

What to do immediately after an earthquake:
> The New Madrid Seismic Zone is active and averages about 200 measured events per year (magnitude 1.0 or greater). Tremors large enough to be felt (magnitude 2.5 – 3.0) occur annually. On average every 18 months, the fault releases a shock of magnitude 4.0 or greater, which is capable of local minor damage. A magnitude 5.0 or greater occurs about once per decade, can cause significant damage and be felt in several states. > The highest earthquake risk in the United States outside the West Coast is in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Damaging earthquakes are not as frequent as in California. But when they do occur, the destruction covers more than 20 times the area due to the geologic differences between the two regions. > The Great New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-12 were a series of over 2,000 seismic events, which occurred for approximately five months, beginning December 16, 1811. Several of those earthquakes are believed to have been magnitude 7.0 or greater. There were reports of church bells ringing in Boston and of shaking being felt as far away as the Caribbean. The town of New Madrid was destroyed. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquakes caused ground warping, sand eruptions, fissures and landslides along river banks. They are believed to be the largest earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains in the history of the U.S. > A damaging earthquake in the NMS of magnitude 6.0 or greater occurs about once every 80 years. The last of that magnitude was a 6.6 event in 1895 near Charleston, Missouri. The USGS reports there is a 25 percent to 40 percent chance of a similar size earthquake occurring within 50 years. Un-reinforced masonry buildings and other structures from Memphis to St. Louis could experience serious damage. The USGS reports that catastrophic upheavals like those in 1811-12 could visit the New Madrid region every 500-600 years. However, even though the chance is remote, experts suggest there is a 7 percent to 10 percent chance for a large earthquake similar to the 1811-12 New Madrid events in the next 50 years. > information taken from: Nixon, Jay, John Britt, and Paul Parmenter. Missouri Department of Public Safety. Jefferson City, Missouri :, Web. 6 Apr 2011. .
 * Check for injuries.
 * Be prepared for aftershocks.
 * Wear sturdy shoes in areas covered with fallen debris and broken glass.
 * If the electricity is out – use flashlights or battery operated lanterns. Check the main utility panel.
 * If you smell gas or hear a hissing sound – open a window and leave the building. Shut off the main gas valve outside the building.
 * If water pipes are damaged – shut off the water supply at the main valve.
 * Check your home and chimney for structural damage
 * Check household appliances for damage.
 * Clean up spilled medicines, bleaches, gasoline and other flammable liquids.
 * Do not flush toilets until you know sewage lines are intact.
 * Open cabinets cautiously because objects may fall off shelves.
 * Use the phone only to report a life-threatening emergency.
 * Listen to news reports for the latest emergency information.
 * ==**History behind New Madrid Fault**==
 * The New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) extends 120 miles south from Charleston, Missouri, following Interstate 55 to near Marked Tree, Arkansas. The NMSZ consists of a series of large, ancient faults that are buried beneath thick, soft sediments. These faults cross five state lines, the Mississippi River in three places and the Ohio River in two places.

" Thousands of quakes have been noted in the state since 1795 and have been recorded since 1908. In recent times, earthquakes have been known to rock tall buildings and crack plaster in Missouri homes. Most were accompanied by numerous aftershocks, which are a series of successive quakes that can cause more damage than the initial shock. Geologic studies indicate that large earthquakes occurred within the southeastern Missouri region in approximately 300 AD, 900 AD, and 1400 AD. Lesser quakes of 4.6 or below have occurred in 1990, 1992, 1998 and 2003 in areas ranging from central Missouri to the far southeastern bootheel of Missouri. About 200 shocks are detected every year in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (or Central United States Seismic Zone). Earthquakes in that zone could affect parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee. Most of the quakes are only detectable by sensitive instruments, but southeast Missouri is disrupted once or twice every 18 months by earthquakes strong enough to crack plaster in buildings. In varying degrees, a major earthquake in the New Madrid Seismic Zone would affect all states east of the Rocky Mountains. Eyewitnesses of the New Madrid earthquakes said, “The surface of the earth rose and fell like the long, low swell of the sea, tilting the trees until their branches interlocked, and opening the soil in deep cracks... landslides swept down the steeper bluffs and hillsides; considerable areas were uplifted, and still larger areas sunk and became covered with water emerging through fissures... high banks [of the Mississippi] caved and were precipitated into the river; sand bars and points of islands gave way, and whole islands disappeared.” New lakes, islands, and streams appeared, and much of the topography of the southeastern corner of Missouri was changed completely. Within three months, the three largest quakes caused vast destruction, distorted lines of sight and level, and flung objects into the air. They were felt throughout 2.5 million square miles and rang church bells in Washington, D.C." "The Great Central US ShakeOut." //Earthquake Hazards//. State Earthquake Program and Fema, 2011. Web. 7 Apr 2011. . ("Earthquake Hazards")

http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/earthquakes.html FEMA suggests ways to prepare for an earthquake http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/earth.html website gives you on information on how to be prepared for earthquakes and ideas to raise awareness

[]  This website gives an in site on how to be more prepared for a tornado disaster. After reading this article aloud to my family we  decided to become more prepared for a natural disaster.

[]  lists of activities on fun ways for children to better prepare for a disaster.

[]  three links that state what to do before, after, and during a torando and signs to look for.

[] media type="youtube" key="4U8sjyckKbE" height="390" width="640" __**video**__:"Missourians Prepare in Case of An Earthquake ." //Missouri's Earthquake Preparedness//. Web. 6 Apr 2011. <http://sema.dps.mo.gov/Earthquake_Preparedness_2011/earthquake_preparedness.asp>. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/cb/Charleston1895.gif Earthquake Activity near missouri. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/US10/32.42.-95.-85.php Most recent earthquakes near/in Missouri.