By Matt Schury
Kendall County emergency responders are encouraging residents to participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, an earthquake emergency drill set to take place next Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 10:15 a.m.
The drill is designed to help residents of the Midwest understand how they can prepare and respond when an earthquake occurs.
In addition to Illinois the drill area encompasses, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas.
County Sheriff’s Deputy Commander Joe Gillespie said Midwesterners might be more familiar with tornadoes or floods but they should also have a plan in place for earthquakes.
Illinois is one of 11 states in the New Madrid Seismic Zone participating in the drill. While California and other western states regularly participate in shake out drills, this is just the second multi-state drill in the Midwest.
“If you live in California, that’s all they do but this is very new for the Midwest,” Gillespie said. “But we just don't think about an earthquake,” he said.
Planning is similar to what people should already do for other disasters, such as having a first aid kit ready, a plan for exiting the home, plenty of food and water on hand as well as an emergency plan for meeting after the disaster.
One important difference between an earthquake and other weather-related disasters, Gillespie said, is that an earthquake comes without warning and people might only have seconds to take action.
He added that destruction from a massive earthquake could take place over thousands of miles and across the entire Midwest, whereas a tornado might just affect smaller areas.
“Obviously an earthquake is different than a tornado, it’s going to be wide spread,” he said. “It's going to affect many more people than a storm or even a flood,” Gillespie said.
The important thing for people to know is how to protect themselves during the shaking by covering their heads and taking cover under a desk or solid table. People should have escape routes in each one of their rooms and plans for where you plan will meet following a disaster, Gillespie advised.
“Remember the infrastructure is probably going to be gone,” Gillespie said. “It's going to be hard to communicate, so have a predetermined plan outlined about where you're going to meet.”
People should also secure their homes. Gillespie says that includes making sure appliances and TVs are safely secured so they don't fall and injure a family member.
“Earthquake-proof your house, determine what things could be dangerous beforehand,” he said.
From the emergency responders end, Gillespie said the drill gives states, counties and municipalities a chance to communicate on a massive scale and put the statewide emergency radio system known as StarCom through its paces.
“A local small disaster, whether it be a tornado or a flood, is usually isolated enough where we can bring in help from other ends,” Gillespie said.
“If Kendall County has an issue, we turn to our friends, in Grundy, Kane, LaSalle, DuPage (Counties) and they all come running to help,” Gillespie said.
“Well, if it's the whole entire state, now we need to reach out to our other state neighbors but this fault is so big that it could effect those neighboring states, so we are reaching even further out. We are just bringing it to a much bigger scale to make sure it works,” he said.
Tips posted by FEMA for making homes earthquake resistant include:
•Strapping bookcases to walls.
•Bracing water heaters to wall studs.
•Removing heavy pictures and mirrors hanging above beds.
•Bracing masonry chimneys.
•Securing TVs, computers and other electronics.
•Installing roll blockers on heavy appliances like refrigerators.
•Securing gas lines by installing flexible connectors to appliances.
•Learning how to shut off utilities.
For more information on earthquake preparedness, visit ready.illinois.gov. For more information on the Great Central ShakeOut, go to shakeout.org/centralus.
“Earthquake-proof your house, determine what things could be dangerous beforehand.”
Joe Gillespie
Deputy Commander
Kendall County Sheriff’s Office
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