Missouri to Hold a Statewide Earthquake Drill This Thursday

The "Great Central U.S. Shakeout" will take place this Thursday throughout the State of Missouri. What is it? Well, we have all been through fire drills and tornado drills but this Thursday hundreds of thousands of Missourians will hold a earthquake drill.  

The drill will be held at exactly 10:17am with schools, businesses and other organizations taking part in the preparedness exercise. With Missouri being in an active seismic earthquake zone, especially with it being located in the New Madrid Fault area, it is important for people to be ready in the event a large scale earthquake strikes this area. People, hopefully, will practice the drop, cover and hold on technique at 10:17am this Thursday.

While most of the quake activity that takes place on a regular basis along the New Madrid Fault is considered to be small in nature, Missouri did endure one of the largest quakes to ever hit the continental United States back in 1812.

I can recall a small quake that shook the Hannibal-Quincy area just a couple of years ago. That one was felt during the early morning hours as things were shaking on my countertop that morning for just a few seconds which seemed like an eternity.