“Stop, Drop and Hold On” are the instructions in the event of an earthquake locally.
Scotty Hernandez, director of School Safety, said firemen and local emergency managers are on site at all the local schools to assess actions by students and administrators.
Jerry Johnson Jr., of Cleveland-Bradley County Emergency Management Agency, said school resource officers and EMA officials will also take part in the assessment and preparedness.
According to the United States Geological Services, “There is broad agreement in the scientific community that a continuing concern exists for a major destructive earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone. Many structures in Memphis, St. Louis, and other communities in the central Mississippi River Valley region are vulnerable and at risk from severe ground shaking. This assessment is based on decades of research on New Madrid earthquakes and related phenomena by dozens of federal, university, state, and consulting earth scientists.”
Tennessee is one of nine Central zone states involved in the drill. Millions of people will be involved as “Shakeouts” occur across the country — some today and some planned for later.
During today’s drill locally, a hypothetical 6.5 quake occurred in Missouri. Shaking occurred in at least eight of the nine states in the Central New Madrid Seismic Zone. Tremors will be felt as far away as the East Coast.
Damage was reported in eight states.
“The preparedness drill is to make students aware,” said Johnson.
During 2011, Bradley County and Cleveland had just gone through severe weather and tornado drills prior to April 27’s deadly storms.
A Shakeout was planned to have been practiced; however, after the storms the immediate needs of the community took precedent.
Tennessee Emergency Management Agency is also involved in the statewide “Shakeout.”
