Earthquakes in Our Backyard: Is Your Emergency Action Plan Ready?
This past weekend, four earthquakes struck Arkansas and Tennessee along the New Madrid Seismic Zone near the Mississippi River:
4.0M
2.1M
1.8M
1.7M
All within 50 miles of each other in a single day. Later that same weekend, a 2.4 magnitude earthquake hit southwest Missouri — right in our backyard here in the Ozarks. The New Madrid Seismic Zone is one of the most active fault lines in the United States, and earthquake preparedness in the Midwest is not something we can afford to ignore.
How do we prepare for an earthquake emergency?
1. Know that they will happen. Earthquake disaster preparedness starts with awareness. The New Madrid fault has produced some of the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history, and seismic activity in Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri is ongoing. This is not a distant risk — it's a local one.
2. Check your insurance coverage. Many standard homeowner and business insurance policies do NOT cover earthquake damage. Ask your provider specifically about earthquake insurance. This is a critical step in any business continuity plan and household emergency preparedness strategy.
3. Educate yourself, your family, and your business. Every person in your home, organization, or workplace should know exactly what to do when the ground starts shaking. The proven protocol is: Drop, Cover, Hold On — then Evacuate and account for all individuals.
This is the foundation of a solid workplace emergency action plan and family disaster preparedness plan. FEMA and Ready.gov provide excellent guidance: https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes
Does your business or organization have a written emergency action plan that covers seismic events? Under OSHA emergency preparedness compliance standards, many workplaces are required to have documented evacuation procedures and shelter-in-place protocols — and an earthquake scenario should be part of that plan.
4. Practice your emergency plan — before disaster strikes. The single biggest gap in most disaster preparedness plans is lack of practice. Walk through your evacuation routes. Run a safety drill. Have the conversation with your family, your staff, or your congregation before you need to. Situational awareness and muscle memory save lives when seconds matter.
Earthquakes are in our backyard whether we like it or not. Whether you're a homeowner, a small business owner, a church leader, or a community organization — now is the time to build your emergency preparedness checklist, review your hazard mitigation strategies, and make sure your guardians are ready to respond.
Not sure where to start? Formation Industries specializes in Emergency Action Plans for businesses, churches, schools, and nonprofits across the Ozarks and beyond. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Take a second to be prepared. Your people are counting on you.
