Seismic Safety Commission meets in New Madrid to discuss preparation

Eric Sandvol, a seismologist, shows video from Turkey during an earthquake last February to members of the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission at their meeting in New Madrid. Sandvol noted there were many similarities to the earthquake in Turkey and those which happened in New Madrid in 1811-12.

NEW MADRID, Mo. — University of Missouri seismologist Eric Sandvol told members of the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission the devastating earthquakes which struck Turkey in early February and those in New Madrid in 1811-12 have much in common.

Sandvol showed videos he had taken of the devastation in Turkey and explained the details of how the earth’s movement brought about the damage.

“The same process happened here in New Madrid where you had that first earthquake occurring at the end of 1811 triggering the series. Each one triggered the other one by loading the adjacent faults,” he said.

In Turkey, he pointed out the greatest devastation was not at the earthquake’s epicenter but in an area with a geologic makeup similar to Southeast Missouri.

“Maybe what is more important to the Commission and for people in emergency management is that you have relatively thin, water-saturated weak sediments over a very competent bedrock that is able to transmit that energy very, very effectively. That weak sediment just absorbs and shakes like Jell-O,” Sandvol said.

Through their work in Turkey, the seismologist said he and others are trying to gain a better understanding of earthquakes.

Sandvol had joined other members of the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission at their quarterly meeting which was conducted at the New Madrid Historical Museum on Tuesday, Aug. 29. It was the first visit for several of the Commission members to the Museum, which includes an exhibit about the earthquakes of 1811-12.

Those earthquakes and the New Madrid Fault are also the reason for the Commission’s existence. It is the Commission’s job to work with state, federal and local governmental agencies to prepare for responding to a major earthquake.

Jeff Briggs, earthquake program manager for the Commission, reported on one of the major programs to help the public be more prepared. The Great ShakeOut earthquake drill is set for Oct. 19 this year.

Already a quarter of a million Missourians have registered at shakeout.org that they will participate. Briggs said the goal is to have a half a million Missourians registered by Oct. 19.

For Southeast Missouri residents the one-minute drill is especially important, he said.

“The experts here in this room today talked about how some day there are going to be more big earthquakes here in Southeast Missouri. Educating people about the drop, cover and hold on preparedness strategy I think is the most important thing,” he said. “There is not going to be any advance notice when the shaking actually starts.”

Other topics addressed by the Commission during their meeting included the Earthquake Insurance Summit scheduled for Nov. 13-14 in St. Louis. The summit will bring together federal and state officials from around the country along with representatives from insurance companies and reinsurance companies to try to address the high cost of earthquake insurance and the fact that many companies no longer offer earthquake insurance.

“The latest survey from the Department of Insurance shows that only 10.9% of homeowners in the Bootheel have earthquake insurance on their homes. Obviously that is a huge problem. If your home gets destroyed in an earthquake very few people are going to have the money to rebuild,” Briggs told the commission.

Attending his first meeting of the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission was 149th District State Rep. Donnie Brown of New Madrid. Brown was recently named to the Commission by the House of Representatives.

“I think this is very important,” said Brown. “It has been a long time since the last earthquake, but when the shaking starts, you had better be prepared.”

Commission provides New Madrid quake report

NEW MADRID, Mo. — Although no one knows when or where an earthquake may occur, a review of three structures in New Madrid County could provide first responders with a better idea of what they would have to deal with.

On Wednesday, Aug. 30, Jeff Briggs, earthquake program manager with the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission, provided New Madrid County Emergency Management Director Al DeLisle with a report by the Commission’s Critical Infrastructure Evaluations Committee. The report looked at the New Madrid Public Safety and 911 Center in New Madrid, New Madrid County Ambulance Station No. 4 just south of Sikeston and the New Madrid County Court House.

The Commission annually contracts with a structure engineer to evaluate structures in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The engineer then puts together a detailed report on the vulnerabilities of the structures reviewed and makes suggestions on possible remedies, according to Briggs.

“Telling people about that ahead of time I think is really critical because people are in some of these old unreinforced buildings and they are not aware of the risk. That is where there really is a risk of loss of life,” Briggs said.

DeLisle said he is currently reviewing the report and will then share the information with the County Commissioners and others.

“This is just another step in the right direction for earthquake preparedness in New Madrid County,” DeLisle said. “It is a way to be better prepared.