In February, more than 10,000 Ohioans participated in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut earthquake
drill. For three years, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) has conducted ShakeOut drills in
February to coincide with the anniversaries of the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812.Although the drills
were highly visible and successful, they were out of sync with the larger, national ShakeOut drills that
take place every third Thursday in October. CUSEC elected to have a second drill this year and move its
ShakeOut drill to Oct. 17, to align with the national earthquake safety initiative that involves more than
43 states and territories.On Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m., the Ohio Emergency Management Agency will join numerous
schools, organizations and county EMA offices throughout the state to once again practice earthquake safety
and Drop, Cover and Hold On.To date, approximately 1.6 million people have signed up to participate in the
Great Central U.S. ShakeOut and will practice the recommended response to earthquake shaking: DROP to the
ground; take COVER under a sturdy table or desk, if possible, and protect your head and neck; and HOLD ON
until the shaking stops.Earthquakes happen without warning. And, earthquakes happen in Ohio. The Ohio
Department of Natural Resources and Ohio Seismic Network have recorded six earthquakes so far this year:
three in July and three in March. Ohio had a total of four earthquakes in 2012.The actual ShakeOut drill
only takes about two minutes. But for emergency managers and responders, it’s the preparation beforehand, to
ensure that the public is aware of how to protect itself from earthquakes and other hazards that impact
Ohio.ShakeOut is coordinated by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and the states of Alabama, Arkansas,
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma and Tennessee.To participate in the Oct.
17 ShakeOut and to learn more about earthquake safety and preparedness, go to www.ShakeOut.org/centralus.
Drill manuals, audio/video drill broadcasts and other ShakeOut resources are available on this site.