'Drop, Cover And Hold On'

At precisely 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 7, Catholic school students in the Diocese of Evansville dropped their books, covered their heads and held on to nearby tables or desks for 60 seconds as part of the Great Central ShakeOut – a drill designed to teach both young people and adults how to remain safe during a major earthquake.

Catholic students in the diocese joined millions nationwide as participants in the exercise.

“Both children and adults need to be prepared for the possibility of a major earthquake,” said Catholic Schools Superintendent Daryl Hagan. “The purpose of the ShakeOut drill is to teach our students to stay calm and react quickly and appropriately during an actual event.”

While teachers told the students about the drill in advance and helped them understand what would happen, several younger students still reported being slightly scared during the ShakeOut – a testament to just how important it is to encourage children to remain calm during a true disaster.

Landon Kiesel, a first grader at Sts. Peter and Paul School in Haubstadt admitted the exercise was “kind of scary” even though he knew there was no earthquake. “But I know my teacher would keep me safe,” he said.

Ashton McCarty, a third grader at St. Matthew School, Mt. Vernon, said he liked participating in the ShakeOut, but that it would have been “scary for real, it was real.”

“I got under my desk, grabbed the legs and held on,” McCarty said.

To learn more about protecting yourself and your family in the event of a major earthquake, visit www.earthquakecountry.info where you can read about the seven steps to prepare, protect and recover from a potentially devastating quake.

A preparedeness guide for families is also available at www.shakeout.org.