WASHINGTON - Today, on the 199th anniversary of one of the largest
earthquakes ever to strike the U.S., the Federal Emergency Management
Agency's (FEMA) Ready Campaign is encouraging all Americans to prepare
for earthquakes and other disasters by making a new year's resolution
to "Resolve to be Ready" in 2011. It only takes a few simple steps to
prepare for emergencies, and anyone can visit
http://www.Ready.gov to learn
more.
"FEMA is not the team, we're only part of the team," said FEMA
Administrator Craig Fugate. "We are constantly working with the
entire federal family, state and local governments, the private
sector, and faith-based and non-profit organizations to prepare for
the next disaster, but we will only be as successful as the public is
prepared. Today, the 199th anniversary of one of the largest
earthquakes to strike the United States, should serve as an important
reminder to all of us that disasters can strike anytime, anywhere.
Preparing you and your family for emergencies is a great resolution
for the coming year - it's simple and easy to keep. Visit Ready.gov
for tips and ideas."
The earthquake took place in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), which
is the site of several of the largest historical earthquakes to ever
strike the continental U.S. and remains a significant risk today. On
December 16, 1811, the first of these quakes struck in the NMSZ. The
earthquake caused strong shaking throughout the central
U.S.--including in what is now the location of Memphis, Tenn., and its
impacts were felt as far away as Washington and Ohio. Each of these
earthquakes caused sand to erupt at the surface, triggered landslides
and was followed by dozens of large aftershocks. The largest of the
earthquake in the series, which occurred February 7, 1812, in New
Madrid, Mo., caused large areas to be uplifted or dropped down in
elevation.
Since then, the regions along the NMSZ have experienced explosive
growth in both population and infrastructure. Another series of
earthquakes with the magnitude of the 1811 earthquakes could prove
catastrophic to the region.
FEMA and its federal partners, non-governmental organizations, and
state and local officials will collaborate on a series of outreach
efforts, partnerships and events over the next year, leading up to the
200th anniversary of the New Madrid quake - including Earthquake
Awareness Month in February, the Great Central U.S. Shakeout and the
2011 National Level Exercise (NLE 2011). These events are designed to
educate Americans on what they can do to be better prepared for
earthquakes and other catastrophic events.
Individuals and their families can take the following steps to prepare
for earthquakes:
Get an emergency supply kit
Make a family communications plan;
Stay informed of the risks in your community;
Check for hazards in the home;
Identify safe places indoors and outdoors; and
Educate yourself and family members.
For more information on preparing for an earthquake or other
emergencies, please visit www.Ready.gov. For more information on
resolving to be ready in 2011, visit www.Ready.gov/resolve2011. For
more information on The Great Central U.S. Shakeout, visit
http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/.
FEMA's mission is to support our citizens and first responders and
ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and
improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to,
recover from, and mitigate all hazards.
###
