5.2 Earthquake Rattles the Midwest

On April 11, 2008 at 4:30a.m., the Midwest was rattled by an early morning earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale. The point of origination was West Salem, Ill.

The tremors, along with over 23 aftershocks, were felt across many cities in the region, including Evansville, Ind., St. Louis, MO., Memphis, Tenn., and even Atlanta, Ga.

Thankfully no fatalities were reported, though many buildings were damaged.

ProtectingAmerica.org urges residents throughout the Central United States to use this experience as a reminder to remain vigilant that the threat of earthquakes is very real, and the next time it may not be a mild event.

Hear ProtectingAmerica.org charter member James Dalessandro comment on the earthquake that surprised the nation by clicking below:
WIND-AM, April 27, 2008 5:00am
WBBM-AM, April 20, 2008, 9:00am

ProtectingAmerica.org attends National Earthquake Conference

From April 22-26, the nation’s foremost earthquake experts on earthquake research, safety and mitigation convened at the 2008 National Earthquake Conference in Seattle.

ProtectingAmerica.org charter member James Dalessandro and director Jim McQueeny participated in the conference to spread the coalition’s messages and mission.

Major news stations spoke with Dalessandro and McQueeny during their visit. Watch and listen to the interviews by clicking below:
KCPQ-TV, April 22, 2007, 8:45am
KOMO-AM, April 11, 2007, 1:00pm

Central US Mitigation Efforts

In their recently released Spring newsletter, the Central US Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC) shares important updates on earthquake research, mitigation and preparation efforts. Among the useful information, CUSEC stresses the importance of strong building codes:

… Cost benefit analysis show that the overall cost to mitigate earthquake risk is small compared to the consequences of not mitigating.

The most cost-effective way to mitigate is at the time of new construction—designing buildings prior to construction with earthquake provisions in mind. Retrofitting existing structures is often the next best solution. According to a FEMA Costs and Benefits of Natural Hazard Mitigation report, Memphis Light Gas and Water (MLG&W) initiated a seismic retrofit project to protect its Davis Water Pumping Station located in southwest Memphis. After the completion of the project, it was reported that the retrofitting of the pumping station prevented an estimated loss of $1.4 million in services per day in the event of an earthquake.

Click here to read the newsletter in its entirety.

ProtectingAmerica.org Member News Update:

‘Test Your Satellite Phone’ Week Begins on May 25

Iridium® Satellite will partner with ProtectingAmerica.org and the American Red Cross to promote the second annual 'Test Your Satellite Phone' Week kicking off May 25, 2008. The goal of 'Test Your Satellite Phone' Week is to increase satellite phone user knowledge and help users confirm their access to the critical communication services satellite phones provide before they’re needed in an emergency.

'ProtectingAmerica.org is pleased to participate in this important initiative and commends Iridium Satellite for ensuring that our emergency workers are prepared to make that critical call during a disaster,' said James Lee Witt, ProtectingAmerica.com national co-chair and former director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). 'Too often, emergency workers turn on their satellite phone for the first time after disaster strikes to find they do not know how to use it properly, the batteries are not charged, their service is substandard or the phone won’t connect.'

For more information, visit www.testyoursatellitephone.com and the ProtectingAmerica.org release.

Countdown to Hurricane Season

Early hurricane forecasts estimate that Americans will endure a 56% worse-than-average season in 2008, and Private weather forecaster WSI Corp raised the number of Atlantic hurricanes it expects this year to eight from seven due to warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures that will likely encourage storm development.

Read More

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