Free Earthquake Damage Prevention Event Coming to Cape Girardeau February 3

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., Jan. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)®, FEMA Building Science Branch, Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, Missouri Seismic Safety Council, U.S. Geological Society and other partners will present a QuakeSmart^® Business Preparedness Summit for businesses in Southeast Missouri and Southwest Illinois on Wednesday, February 3 at the Southeast Missouri State University River Campus.

The summit is timed to coincide with annual Earthquake Awareness Month observances in Missouri and Illinois around the anniversary of the largest of the New Madrid series of earthquakes on February 7, 1812. The M7.5 temblor outside New Madrid, MO generated shaking as far south as the Gulf Coast, eastward to the Atlantic Coast, and northeast to Quebec covering an estimated 2.5 million square kilometers. The goal for Earthquake Awareness Month events is to remind residents of potential risk for damaging earthquakes in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

According to Cape Girardeau County Emergency Manager, Richard Knaup, "As the recent floods have taught us, it's important to be prepared in advance of natural disasters. Holding the QuakeSmart Summit near the anniversary of the New Madrid earthquake is a good reminder that earthquakes can and have happened in our area. Business owners and managers will be better prepared if they attend the summit to learn strategies to lessen the potential impacts and to ensure business continuity following earthquakes or other natural disasters."

The free summit will feature the FEMA QuakeSmart Community Resilience Program which provides preparedness information, comprehensive earthquake assessments, and engineering and retrofit information designed to keep businesses open and viable post-earthquake. Attendees will learn how to prepare their employees in advance of natural disasters, complete QuakeSmart assessments, and begin budgeting for retrofit projects. 

Wednesday, February 3, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Cape Girardeau QuakeSmart Business Preparedness Summit 
Southeast Missouri State University, River Campus
Glenn Convocation Center
One University Plaza, MS 7895
Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
For:  Business owners, managers, facility managers, engineering and maintenance staff, and risk managers                          

The summit is free, but registration is required at quakesmartcommunity.org.Contact Barbara Harrison at [email protected]or (850) 385-7233, ext. 103 for additional information.

The summit is sponsored by Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management Agency, Cape Girardeau Fire Department, CCS Group, Inc., Central U.S. Earthquake Consortia (CUSEC), DRB Toolkit Workgroup, FEMA, FLASH, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Missouri Seismic Safety Council, Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, Simpson Strong-Tie Co, WorkSafe Technologies, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

About FLASH

The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) is the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from natural and manmade disasters. The FLASH partnership includes more than 120 innovative and diverse organizations that share a vision of making America a more disasterresilient nation including: BASF, FEMA, Florida Division of Emergency Management, The Home Depot®, Huber Engineered Woods, International Code Council, Kohler® Generators, National Weather Service, Portland Cement Association, Simpson Strong-Tie®, State Farm®, and USAA®. In 2008, FLASH® and Disney opened the interactive weather experience StormStruck: A Tale of Two Homes® in Lake Buena Vista, FL. Learn more about FLASH and access free consumer resources by visiting www.flash.org, calling toll-free (877) 221- SAFE (7233), following @federalalliance on Twitter, Facebook.com/federalalliance, and the FLASH blog – Protect Your Home in a FLASH.

Contact:  Barbara Harrison
(850) 385-7233 ext. 103 (office)
[email protected]

SOURCE Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH)

Related Links

http://www.flash.org