Sikeston officials take part in earthquake summit

Sikeston officials take part in earthquake summit

City of Sikeston officials were among the many who took part in the nation’s largest earthquake summit held in Portageville Thursday.

Sikeston City Manager Jonathan Douglass and Community Development Director Barry Blevins along with Sikeston DPS officers James Whitley and Zac Haskin all attended the summit that brought together first responders and emergency management professionals from the local and federal levels.

Hundreds attended the event as five states in four local FEMA zones were represented.

Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe was in attendance as well as many other officials who heard about earthquake hazards in the central U.S. and the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

The NMSZ is the largest active zone in the U.S. east of the Rocky Mountains. Officials say there is a 25-40% possibility of a magnitude 6 or greater earthquake occurring in the NMSZ in the next 50 years.

Those in attendance also heard about the impacts a large quake would have to the Little River Drainage District, and the problem of only one-third of Missourians having earthquake insurance, which presents a “wicked problem.”

An operations guide for earthquake evacuation was also discussed as well as new rules for school emergency planning and a roadmap for faster response and recovery for transportation departments.

Speakers also explained how an earthquake response plan can help if another disaster were to strike and how past emergencies can help the area better prepare for a catastrophic earthquake.

Blevins said it was a very informative event, as it helped the leaders understand how to direct efforts for the cities if a large earthquake event were to happen in the area.

“I would say if you had prepared a kit for three days, you should prepare it for 14 days,” Blevins said, adding that if a large earthquake were to hit, the Sikeston-area could possibly be isolated for a time before they could be evacuated. (March 17, 2023)

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