Southeast to participate in earthquake drill Thursday

As the region struggles to hold back surging floodwaters, Southeast Missouri is preparing for an earthquake. Southeast Missouri State University students, faculty, and staff will join schools, businesses and government agencies across the central United States on Thursday morning, all encouraged to "Drop, Cover, and Hold On."

Southeast Student Government is hosting ShakeOut Southeast to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the New Madrid earthquake and bring attention to the importance of earthquake preparedness. The statewide drill begins at 10:15 a.m.

The goal of the campaign is for every person on the Southeast campus to drop to the floor, cover oneself and hold on to a stationary object, according to a university news release.

It's all part of The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, an eight-state drill spanning much of the central United States. As of Tuesday afternoon, 2.9 million people were scheduled to take part, with nearly 408,000 in Missouri, according to shakeout.org/centralus/missouri/.

Southeast Student Government is hosting a ShakeOut Cookout in front of Kent Library April 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to provide another opportunity to educate students about earthquake safety.

To register and be counted as a participant in ShakeOut Southeast and to receive earthquake safety tips, visit www.shakeout.org/centralus/register.