KY, IN and IL Included In FEMA's Midwest Earthquake Drill

Even though it seems like there is nothing worse than dividing the country in half politically or over COVID-19 or the vaccine, there is. It is an earthquake. An earthquake that would be so strong, the earthquake could divide the US in half. Yep, right down the middle.

This is what we are looking at when, not if, a major earthquake happens along the New Madrid Fault Line. According to a blog from, freedom outpost.com,

In October 2009, a team composed of University of Illinois and Virginia Tech researchers headed by Amr S. Elnashai, funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), considered a scenario where all three segments of the New Madrid fault ruptured simultaneously with a total earthquake magnitude of 7.7. The report found that there would be significant damage in the eight states studied – Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky...The report estimated 86,000 casualties, including 3,500 fatalities; 715,000 damaged buildings; and 7.2 million people displaced, with 2 million of those seeking shelter, primarily due to the lack of utility services. Direct economic losses, according to the report, would be at least $300 billion.

Notice the simulation was only of a 7.7 magnitude quake. The threat of much larger earthquakes is a real and present danger. So, we all need to be prepared.

Fix potential hazards in your home.
Prepare a disaster kit.
Make a disaster plan of where to meet up after the earthquake is over.
Access the weakness of the structures you live and work in and if possible, work to fix them.
Practice and teach your kids - DROP, COVER, and HOLD ON

More specifics of earthquake preparedness can be found HERE.

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Another way to get ready for the BIG one Is happening in October. The Great American Shakeout is a FEMA-directed MIdwest earthquake simulation that is scheduled for October 21 at 10:21 am. Over 1.6 million people in the Midwest have registered to take part in this drill including schools, businesses, and individuals.

Go to The Great Central US Shakeout website to register, or just get more info.

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Get prepared now for winter weather.