Our hearts go out to the people of Japan, the Pacific, and even the west coast with the news of the devastating earthquake and tsunami. Although the threat of earthquakes and aftershocks is minimal in Ohio, they can occur. Global events like these draw attention to disaster preparedness, and force us to ask “Am I prepared?”
Take a few minutes and read our tips for general disaster preparedness as well as some Ohio earthquake facts.
Disaster Preparedness tips:
1. Make a plan Your plan should include how to get in contact with your family, how to leave or return home, gathering important documents for quick access, and thinking about safety for your pets and children in the home, as well as elderly or disabled neighbors. Making a plan starts with talking about disasters of all kinds with your family.
2. Make a kit A disaster kit should be able to sustain you and your family for at least 72 hours. It should include water, food, batteries, a battery operated radio, flashlights, first aid kit and important emergency phone numbers
3. Be informed and alert It is important to be tuned in with your surroundings, and informed of news alerts at the federal, state and local levels.
It’s also a great idea to help your community in a disaster. Volunteer with a local Citizen Corps program to receive disaster response training, and get valuable practice by volunteering for a disaster preparedness exercise.
Ohio Earthquake Facts*:
1. The greatest earthquake threat to Ohio is considered to be the New Madrid, Missouri seismic zone. It is the most active seismic area in the US east of the Rockies and spans parts of seven states: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi. An earthquake in this particular zone would have the capability to reach southwestern Ohio and the greater Cincinnati area.
2. It’s difficult for scientists to assess the amount of damage an earthquake stemming from the New Madrid zone could cause due to a lack of historical data and low-lying fault lines. The last major earthquake to occur out of this area was in 1812, and produced an estimated magnitude in the 7-8 seismic range. The impact of a quake this large would be devastating as the fault line spans so many states, many along the Mississippi River Valley, with flooding and landslides being a possible side effect.
3. What about a tsunami in Lake Erie? Again, the lack of historical charting makes it hard to predict, but chances are slim. It would take a combination of a 7 magnitude quake in the northern Ohio area (the highest recorded was in the 5 magnitude range), a vertical displacement of the lake bed (earthquakes in this area are significantly horizontal with the shivers running east to west), and a sudden downslope of rock and sediment (very unlikely as Lake Erie is the shallowest of all of the Great Lakes).
4. The last earthquake in Ohio of notable size was a 2.8 that occurred in the Marietta area of Washington County on October 24, 2010. A total of 7 quakes with a seismic magnitude of over 2.0 occurred in 2010, some of which caused reported aftershocks to be felt in the central Ohio area.
With these facts in mind, get involved and be prepared! Don’t forget to register for the Franklin County and Columbus full-scale disaster exercise on April 21. Contact rverhoff@handsoncentralohio.org for more details.
Browse our blog and website for more disaster tips and check out the following websites for more information about the New Madrid seismic zone and Ohio earthquakes.
www.earthquake.usgs.gov/prepare
www.dnr.state.oh.us/geosurvey/faq/threat/tabid/8340/Default.aspx
www.dnr.mo.gov/geology/geosrv/geores/techbulletin1.htm
*Facts compiled from the following sources: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
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