Earthquake: Are You Ready Lowcountry?

Charleston County News Release

MEDIA CONTACT

Name:   Jennie Davis, Charleston County Public Information Officer

Phone: 843.958.4012

Email:   jdavis@charlestoncounty.org

Release Number: 3056

Date: October 13, 2009

Earthquake: Are You Ready Lowcountry?

           Earthquake Preparedness Workshop Thursday, Oct. 29

Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning. After a major earthquake, electricity, water and gas may be out of service. Emergency aid may not reach you for several days.

While you can not predict when an earthquake will occur, you can plan in advance and identify potential hazards ahead of time to reduce the dangers that may cause serious injury or loss of life.

As a part of the Ready Lowcountry campaign, Charleston County’s Emergency Management Department has teamed up with the South Carolina Earthquake Education and Preparedness (SCEEP) program to offer an earthquake preparedness workshop from 6 – 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center located in the Charleston County Public Services Building (third floor, room 339) at 4045 Bridge View Drive in North Charleston.

“South Carolina is home to one of the most active earthquake-producing regions in North America. The center of a 25 by 15-mile oval, known as the Middleton Place-Summerville Seismic Zone, lies about twenty-two miles northwest of Charleston,” said James Tarter, Charleston County’s Emergency Management Training Coordinator. “Unlike hurricanes, the arrival date, time and intensity of an earthquake can't be predicted. That’s why residents have to get prepared now.”

Tarter will be joined at the workshop by Dr. Steve Jaume of the College of Charleston’s Geology Department.

To register for the workshop, contact James Tarter at (843) 202-7405 or jtarter@charlestoncounty.org.  

Ready Lowcounty

The Ready Lowcountry campaign is a localization of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s national Ready campaign aimed to provide local information, resources and education to help citizens prepare for all types of hazards.

Ready Lowcountry Partners include:

• American Red Cross, Lowcountry Chapter
• Atlantic Business Continuity Services
• Berkeley County Government
• Business Continuity Planning Council
• Charleston County Area Project Impact
• Charleston County Government
• Charleston County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad
• Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
• City of Charleston
• City of North Charleston
• Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy
• Coastal Facial Plastic Surgery
• Disability Resource Center
• Dorchester County Government
• East Cooper Community Outreach
• Lowcountry CERT (Community Emergency Response Team)
• Lowcountry Food Bank
• Lowcountry Medical Reserve Corps
• North Charleston and American LaFrance Fire Museum
• ProPac,Inc.
• SC Earthquake Education and Preparedness (College of Charleston Geology Department)
• South Carolina DTV Help Center
• South Carolina Emergency Management Division
• Town of Mount Pleasant
• Trident United Way
• U.S. Coast Guard Sector Charleston