Thursday Is The Great Central US Shakeout Across Missouri & Surrounding Areas

Emergency management officials around the lake area and statewide are urging you to get ready for a long overdue earthquake in Missouri which, unlike other natural disasters, will happen with no advance notice

“Floods, tornadoes, wonder weather happens. We’re going to know about it in advance. Even with tornadoes, we get a few minutes warning to take shelter. Shaking is going to start and you’re just going to be doing whatever you normally do in that day.”

Jeff Briggs from the State Emergency Management Agency says the 2024 Great Central U.S. “Shakeout” serves as a good way to prepare for what’s expected to be a major earthquake centered in southeast Missouri.

“The New Madrid Seismic Zone, based down on the boot heel in southeast Missouri, is the largest active seismic zone in the US east of the Rocky Mountains. And although it hasn’t had a big one lately, the geologists and the seismologists tell us that we are going to have a big one one of these days.”

The Great “ShakeOut” begins at 10:17 Thursday morning.

Some 500-thousand are signed up across the state to participate in the drill.

More information about the drill and earthquake safety, in general, is available on SEMA’s webpage.