January 31, 2009
Arkansas Catholic - Little Rock
Preparing for the possibility of an earthquake can no longer be just a task for residents in northeast Arkansas.
With a string of tremors over the past three months, Catholic Charities of Arkansas is gearing up to prepare its parish disaster response teams and parishioners in general about what they need to do now in case an earthquake strikes their area.
Photo: Sister Mary Lou Stubbs, DC, (left) shows Jamie Deere, director of parish social ministries, some of the pins on the state map in her office that mark where earthquakes occurred in January. (Malea Hargett)
Jamie Deere, parish social ministry director, oversees disaster response for the Diocese of Little Rock. She works closely with the teams, which were initially created after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, to ensure they are properly trained and know how to access resources for their parishioners and other residents in the event of a natural or manmade disaster.
"We want our parishes and parishioners to be prepared like they would for any disaster. We are hoping the schools are preparing too," Deere said. "We know we are going to have tornadoes. We forget that we are sitting in close proximity to a major fault. ... We always have to be prepared."
Most earthquake preparedness in the state has centered on northeast Arkansas, which is in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. A series of 1811-1812 quakes, with magnitudes around 8, caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards. Deere said seismologists have said there is a 97% chance a major earthquake will hit the zone by 2035.
At least 15 earthquakes, including three on Jan. 26 near Walnut Ridge, have occurred inside and outside of that zone since November. According to the Center for Earthquake Research and Information in Memphis, earthquakes ranging from magnitudes 1.6 to 2.9 have hit near Walnut Ridge, Portia (Lawrence), Shirley (Van Buren), Blytheville, Damascus (Van Buren), Rock port (Hot Spring), Hot Springs Village, Casa (Perry), Victoria (Mississippi), Caraway (Craig head), Hector (Pope) and Gosnell (Mississippi). Officials have said unknown faults could be the culprits for the tremors in central Arkansas.
"They are happening here (Arkansas) frequently. They are not big, but they are happening," Deere said.
According to an Associated Press report Jan. 22, a new fault line was discovered in Marianna, in eastern Arkansas, and could set off a magnitude 7 earthquake.
"We want people to be aware that it is possible in other areas besides the New Madrid area," Deere said.
Acknowledging "there is not a lot you can do during an earthquake," Deere said parishioners can try to prepare.
"We don't want to scare people, but there are a few things you can do," she said.
Deere said Catholic Charities will be focusing its efforts on training parish teams and building relationships with other disaster agencies. Of immediate concern is getting more teams established in northeast Arkansas. Currently the closest team is in West Memphis, she said.
Deere has visited with the Red Cross of the Mid-South, which serves Memphis and Crittenden County. Deere said these relationships are key because if an earthquake paralyzed Memphis, Little Rock would be the closest city where hospitals and services could be provided.
"They know us and they know to call us," she said.
Sister Mary Lou Stubbs, DC, director of Catholic Charities, said she is continuing to work on the executive team of the Arkansas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. She said she hopes the other charities will start making their plans as well in the event a major earthquake hits the state. In her office Sister Mary Lou has a map where she is now tracking the recent earthquakes.
Sister Mary Lou said she believes churches are the most effective place to inform parishioners about disaster preparedness. She said she hopes Catholics will create a plan at their work, home and church.
"Every disaster is local and every response is local," she said.
http://www.arkansascatholic.org/article.php?id=1590