Start Practicing to 'Drop, Cover and Hold On'

“Drop, Cover and Hold On.” The largest earthquake drill ever organized in our region will be held on Thursday, April 28. Ten states including Georgia will participate in the event.

The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is being planned by the Central United States Earthquake Consortium, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security’s (GEMA) Ready Georgia campaign encourages citizens to register to participate at www.ready.ga.gov. The free registration includes information on how to plan an earthquake drill.

According to a GEMA press release, more than 115,000 Georgia residents have signed up to practice “Drop, Cover and Hold On.”  During the drill, participants will drop to the ground, take cover under a sturdy desk or table and hold on until the shaking stops.

In a recent blog posting, Chris Walsh of GEMA writes that most people are not aware of the earthquake potential in Georgia.

“Georgia has a history of earthquake hazards that dates back to 1811,” according to Walsh. “Our most severe earthquake took place in 1886, reaching 7.3 on the Richter scale. As recently as August 5, 2010, Georgia experienced a magnitude 2.2 earthquake less than 75 miles outside of Atlanta, Covington and Macon and only 10 miles from Milledgeville at Lake Sinclair.”

GEMA’s Ready Georgia campaign advises residents to prepare for natural disasters such as earthquakes by preparing a kit of emergency supplies, creating an emergency communications plan, and staying informed about potential threats and their appropriate responses.

For more information visit ready.ga.gov or find Ready Georgia at Facebook.com/ReadyGA andYouTube.com/ReadyGAfromGEMA.

Other states participating in the April 28 event include Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.