NextStop Blog

You never know when the next earthquake could occur. Rather than wait for the ground to rubble, people nationwide took a proactive role this morning by participating in The Great ShakeOut at 10:15 a.m. this morning following the appropriate earthquake drill procedures.

The Great ShakeOut is an annual drill where residents, schools, businesses, organizations and others conduct earthquake drills at the same time, providing residents and organizations the opportunity to be better prepared if an earthquake were to occur.

At 10:15 a.m., Bi-State Development employees who work in offices went under their desks to protect themselves like they would during a real earthquake. Our employees who work outdoors or operate a MetroBus, MetroLink and Metro Call‑A‑Ride vehicle, observed their surroundings.

Here are a few helpful tips to saying safe during an earthquake:

If you are inside a building, move no more than a few steps, then Drop, Cover and Hold On:

• Drop to the ground (before the earthquake drops you!);
• Take cover by getting under a sturdy desk or table; and,
• Hold on to it until the shaking stops

Stay indoors until the shaking stops and you are sure it is safe to exit. In most U.S. buildings, you are safer if you stay where you are until the shaking stops.

• If you are outdoors when the shaking starts, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, streetlights and power lines, then Drop, Cover and Hold On. Stay there until the shaking stops.
• If you are driving, pull over to a clear location, stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops. When the shaking stops, proceed with caution and avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged by the earthquake.

More than 3 million people in the Missouri, Mississippi and Ohio river valleys — including more than 400,000 Missourians — signed up to take part in the brief exercise this year. Missouri has participated in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut since 2011 and is one of 11 states taking part in this year’s drill.  In October 2014, more than 471,000 Missourians and more than 2.7 million people in the central U.S. registered for the drill.

The Great ShakeOut was coordinated by Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and its other member and associate states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of other partners.

Great ShakeOut Earthquake drills began in California in 2008 and have expanded each year since then.