EFFINGHAM —
Most area students have grown up with tornado drills, knowing an audible signal means grabbing the heaviest book out of their desk, finding a place in line and heading to the hallway, crouching against the wall and protecting their head with the book.
But while being raised in the Midwest typically means growing up prepared for tornadoes or ice storms, precautions are beginning to include earthquake drills, as well.
St. Anthony and Sacred Heart Grade Schools in Effingham Tuesday participated in The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, a multi-state earthquake drill that the Illinois Emergency Management Agency encouraged residents and schools to participate in to learn more about to do when the ground shakes beneath them.
“We live near the Madrid fault lines and there’s no warning, so it’s important to continue practicing because if it does occur, students know what to do and not to panic,” said Kim Tegeler, EMA coordinator for the city of Effingham who helped plan the precautionary drill on a local level.
The New Madrid and Wabash Valley seismic zones are located in southern Illinois, and the area got a taste of what an earthquake felt like in spring 2008 when tremors measuring at a magnitude of 5.4 hit the central and southern portions of the state in the early morning hours.
Since then, there’s been a push to add earthquake drills to emergency plans, especially because there’s no warning or signal to alert residents when a quake hits.
At St. Anthony Grade School, students dropped to their knees and crawled under their desks after an announcement was made, letting them know that what they were doing was a drill and to keep their heads and shoulders under the furniture as much as possible.
“You have to react just as quickly as you did today,” fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Cummins told her class, reminding her students to do the same routine if they’re in another room when disaster strikes.
Stay under the desk until you’re told it’s okay to come out, she added, as aftershocks can occur. To help students remember the precautionary steps, “Drop, Cover and Hold On” was the phrase used, as students were told to not only hunker down under their desk, but to hold on to it.
To learn more, visit www.Ready.Illinois.gov. Parents can encourage their children to stay calm and be prepared by visiting and interacting at www.iema.illinois.gov/iema/EarthquakeGame.
Samantha Newburn may be reached at 217-347-7151 ext. 131 or samantha.newburn@effinghamdailynews.com.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Students in Mrs. Cummins' fourth-grade classroom at St. Anthony Grade School in Effingham take cover under their desks during an earthquake drill Tuesday. Samantha Newburn
Discussion
Students prepare for earthquake
- Local News
-
-
Boil order issued
Effingham Water Department has issued a boil order for the following streets.
-
Unit 50 faces state aid cuts
Like all Illinois school districts, Teutopolis Unit 50 is hanging in the proverbial wind by doing business in a state that is financially struggling, to put it mildly.
-
Lifesavers
After Central School students were recognized for top grades or perfect attendance, two teachers were acknowledged for their bravery and quick-thinking when they saved a little boy’s life.
-
Parkersburg man dies in motorcycle crash Sunday
The Parkersburg man who was killed in a Sunday afternoon motorcycle accident south of Newton suffered severe head injuries, but the coroner who pronounced him dead in a hospital emergency room said it wasn’t certain whether wearing a helmet would have saved his life.
-
City turns land over to park district
Land originally intended for the proposed sports complex will be handed over to the Effingham Park District after the Effingham City Council discussed exchanging property near Evergreen Hollow Park for right of way and construction easements.
-
Man fatally struck by train
A Greenup man was killed Tuesday morning when he was struck by a train.
-
Local veterans plan dedication for new memorial
Veterans and their admirers will have something to celebrate Saturday morning. That’s when local veterans groups are holding a dedication ceremony for the new veterans memorial on the southwest corner of the old Effingham County Courthouse square at the corner of Fourth Street and Jefferson Avenue in downtown Effingham.
-
Boil order issued
Effingham Water Department has issued a boil order for West Jefferson Avenue from Fourth Street to North Banker Street on both sides of the street until further notice.
-
Keller to retire
He fell into education by circumstance, but it turned out to be the best learning experience. The opportunity to move from assistant principal to business manager came out of nowhere, but it was a job he took almost immediately.
-
Flag ceremony
Sigel American Legion Cmdr. Roger Westjohn, right, and Chaplain Tom Schutte dispose of tattered flags during a ceremony in Sigel May 11.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Boil order issued
Defense Rests in John Edwards Trial
GM Says It Will Stop Paying for Ads on Facebook
911 Call: Confusion at Home Where Mom Shot Kids
Jury Convicts Steve Powell of Voyeurism Charges
Skechers to Pay $40 Million for Bogus Claims
Coffee May Be Key to Living Longer
Police to Groom of Slain Bride: Turn Yourself In
Laurie Fine: My Life Has Been Destroyed
FTC: Skechers Deceived Consumers With Shoe Ads
FBI Confirms Leak Probe on Al-Qaida Plot
Romney Calls Obama a 'Disappointment'
Honda Unveils New Robotics-powered Scooter
NJ Gov., Mayor Channel Seinfeld in Video Parody
Blood Drive for Woman With Flesh-Eating Disease
AG Race Tops Oregon Primary Interest
Obama Welcomes Beckham, Galaxy to White House
Raw Video: Mladic's Genocide Trial Under Way
Court Records Detail Zimmerman Injuries
Local Community Prepares for G8 Summit
New Guidelines for US Nuclear Plants
