On Tuesday, several students and residents in the City of Hazelwood will learn all about how to avoid a case of the shakes in the Great U.S. Central Shakeout.

More than one million people will participate in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, which focuses on teaching safety in the event of an earthquake. 

More than 350,000, including more than 200,000 students, are expected to take part in the earthquake drill.

Missouri is one of nine states participating in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut, which covers Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma and Tennessee.

Feb. 7 is also the 200th anniversary of the last of four major earthquakes to shake the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which includes Missouri and Illinois. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) rated the quake at approximately 7.7 on the Richter scale.

All of the schools in the Hazelwood School District (HSD) including Armstrong, Garrett, McNair and Russell elementary schools, along with Hazelwood West Middle and Hazelwood West High, will participate in the drill at 10:15 a.m., to observe occurrence of the 1812 New Madrid earthquake.

Students and staff will they drop, cover and hold on as USGS general guidelines recommend that during an earthquake people should DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you), take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table and HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops.

Audrey Cherry-Bates, director of HSD school safety said that all individuals should practice these steps.

“The ShakeOut is a great opportunity for the schools to become better prepared for a major earthquake,” she said. 

If there is not a table or desk nearby, you should cover yout face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building. Never should one attempt  to run to another room to get under a table.

For more information or to see others participating, check out the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut website.