Two minor earthquakes that rocked central Missouri this spring demonstrate
the importance of earthquake preparedness in the region. Preparation for a
significant quake along the New Madrid Fault is the subject of a conference to
be held at Missouri University of Science and Technology this summer.

“Preparing for a Significant Central U.S. Earthquake: Science Needs of the
Response and Recovery Community,” will be held Aug. 12-14 on the Missouri
S&T campus. The conference is intended for both first responders and
engineers interested in earthquake-safe building structures.

Conference organizers hope to provide a regional forum for exchange of ideas
and potential solutions involved with preparing for a significant earthquake in
the central United States. It will bring together experts from academia,
government, non-government agencies and the private sector to address the
current and forecasted needs of the response and recovery community.

The conference kicks off Tuesday, Aug. 12, with a day of training
opportunities. Training will be offered in the areas of structural assessment
and visual evaluation; community disaster response; and using civil support
teams for seismic event response.

The conference officially opens on Wednesday, Aug. 13, with discussions on
such topics as the consequences of a major earthquake; timing, recurrence and
probability of the next major event; engineering stresses and effects,
transportation and infrastructure, geological and structural monitoring and
geologic mapping.

On Aug. 14, attendees can choose from two tracks: science, maps and
engineering, and federal and state response and recovery.

Speakers include U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, Maj. Gen. King E. Sidwell,
adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, and State Emergency Management
Agency Director Ron M. Reynolds.

Registration for the conference is $125, with a $25 discount for those
registering prior to May 31. Training opportunities are included with the
registration fee.

The conference is hosted by Missouri S&T in conjunction with the U.S.
Geological Survey Mid-Continent Geographic Science Center, the Geology and Land
Survey Division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the State of
Missouri Emergency Management Agency, St. John’s Medicine and the Fort Leonard
Wood Chapter of the Society of American Military Engineers.

For more information about the conference or to register, visit newmadridconf.mst.edu or email dce@mst.edu or call 573-341-6222.