Planning key to preparing for earthquakes, local emergency coordinator says

Jim Watkins said the best thing Southeast Missourians can do to prepare for a possible earthquake is "make a plan."

Monday, Feb. 6, quakes in southeastern Europe and southwestern Asia have killed more than 21,000 people as of presstime.

Almost 18,000 have died in Turkey; the remainder perished in Syria.

Knowing disaster has happened elsewhere can motivate people here to get ready.

Such is the opinion of Watkins, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Region E coordinator for Southeast Missouri, who was named Dec. 12 by Gov. Mike Parson to the state's Seismic Safety Commission.

"Building codes in the United States are different than in foreign countries," Watkins said. "The devastation seen (in Turkey and Syria) with buildings crumbling and collapsing probably wouldn't be as severe here."

Elevator speech

Watkins, fully aware of Southeast Missouri's status in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, was asked how he would explain, in just a couple of minutes, how to prepare in case of an earthquake.

"Make a plan and talk to family members about a place to reunite if separated because you have to assume cell towers will be down. When you have a plan, practice it. Make a kit, a 'go bag,' if you will, and talk to family and neighbors in advance how to help each other if the worst happens," he said.

Watkins said people should set aside whatever they think they'll need to survive for at least three days.

Among the examples he cites are water, flashlights, driver's licenses, a copy of medical prescriptions and necessary documents that might be destroyed in a quake.

"A lot of things can be stored on flash drives, thumb drives such as medical records and insurance papers. If the contents of your home are destroyed, it's vital to have pictures so your claim can be validated by an adjuster," Watkins said.

The Zone

The New Madrid Seismic Zone, created in the wake of the 1811 and 1812 earthquakes that devastated a multi-state region, consists of parts of seven states: Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Illinois and Indiana.

"According to diaries of survivors of those 200-year-old earthquakes, the ground was like Jell-O," Watkins said.