Missouri Plans Statewide Earthquake Drill

Missouri’s disaster management agency is planning a statewide earthquake drill as part of Earthquake Awareness Month.

On Feb. 7, more than 350,000 Missourians will participate in the exercise marking the 201st anniversary of the 1812 New Madrid earthquake. Missouri is one of nine states performing the drill on that day.

The Missouri Emergency Management Agency’s awareness campaign officially begins Feb. 1 with a seminar at Saint Louis University.

Other events include a geology presentation at Onondanga Cave State Park on Feb. 9 and an earthquake awareness day in Cape Girardeau on Feb. 16.

The New Madrid Seismic Zone, centered in southeast Missouri, is one of the nation’s most active earthquake areas. The 1812 earthquake altered the flow of the Mississippi River and destroyed farms.