SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security (IEMA-OHS) is encouraging everyone in Illinois to practice how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On! during Earthquake Awareness Month.
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“A strong earthquake won’t just affect southern Illinois, but the entire state given its proximity to two major seismic zones—the New Madrid Seismic Zone on the border with Missouri and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone on the border with Indiana,” said Director Alicia Tate Nadeau. “The best way to stay safe during an earthquake is to Drop, Cover, and Hold On! If you practice this regularly, you’ll know exactly what to do during an earthquake because a strong earthquake could easily affect homes and infrastructure throughout Illinois.”
Whether you are in your home, a school classroom, a high-rise or other type of building, it is important to know how to protect yourself during an earthquake. Practice what to do during an earthquake with your family members so you can react automatically when the shaking starts.
If you are indoors, follow these steps to Drop, Cover, and Hold On:
- Drop down to the floor
- Take Cover under a sturdy desk, table, or other furniture
- Hold on to that object until the shaking ends
Details on how persons with disabilities can adapt Drop, Cover, and Hold On! to reduce injury or death during an earthquake, can be found here.
Another option for earthquake preparedness is to join the national ShakeOut drill in October where nearly 20 million people across the U.S. practice their earthquake response.
IEMA-OHS also offers disaster preparedness information on the Ready Illinois website, a one-stop resource for detailed information about what to do before, during and after disasters. For more information on earthquake preparedness, visit https://iemaohs.illinois.gov/preparedness/earthquake.html.
