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Great Central U.S. Shakeout is Thursday

Drop.  Cover.  Hold on.

Those are the three things to do if there is an earthquake – or, as is the case at 10:16 Thursday morning, an earthquake drill.

Promoting the Great American ShakeOut, Illinois Emergency Management Agency director Jonathon Monken says like a tornado, an earthquake can happen anywhere.

“There are 34 states that have what they categorize as a significant risk of earthquake, and Illinois was only one of a handful of states (for which) they actually raised the overall risk level.”

Unlike a tornado, an earthquake comes with no warning.  And Monken has had some experience, having been under the conference table with colleagues during a 2011 earthquake in Washington, D.C.

“It's very disorienting.  At first, we didn’t know if it was an explosion,” he said.  “You just make assumptions about how safe the ground is that you’re standing on.”

The drill is mostly informal; whether there is an alarm will depend on who makes that sort of decision at your work, school, or home.

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