Emergency responders from throughout northeast Missouri consider how to deal with a major earthquake on the New Madrid Fault and how it could affect this area. Hannibal Emergency Management Director John Hark says the drill is based on major earthquakes a short time apart on the New Madrid and Wabash Faults to our southeast. Damage in Hannibal could be significant and transportation and communication would become very difficult. The drill assumes that US 61 would be unusable north and south of Hannibal and that ground access to Illinois would cut off.

Hark says depending on local sources will be a must. The challenge will be in getting resources into the area and working around a lot of damage to buildings, utilities, water and sewer systems.

Even basic communication would become very difficult in the wake of a major earthquake. Hark says the goal is to set the mind frame of first responders just in case.

John Hark talks with KHMO's Bill Shuler about the earthquake excercise.

 

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