Earthquakes in Nebraska: An Unlikely but Important Reason to be Prepared

Because the west coast and California, specifically, get the majority of the headlines when it comes to earthquakes it may come as a surprise to some that quite a few earthquakes actually happen in the Heartland.

While Nebraska has never experienced a major earthquake, they aren’t unheard of.

“Fault scarps are all over the place, so Nebraska is not immune, but chances are slim” explains Harmon Maher, Ph.D., professor of geology at UNO. “For us in the Great Plains, it is a bit harder to know earthquake risk because so many young sediments bury and hide the deeper faults.”

Even so, an earthquake doesn’t have to take place in Nebraska for the impacts to be felt. In 2016, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit Oklahoma with aftershocks that shook structures all the way up to Omaha. And, in 2018, four mild earthquakes hit central Nebraska across two days even though no damage was reported.

Unlike many other natural disasters, earthquakes can strike without warning and their severity can vary wildly. This is why, each year in October, multiple states and countries participate in the “Great ShakeOut,” which serves as a unified earthquake preparedness and drill. This year’s event is taking place at 10:20 A.M. CT on Thursday, Oct. 20, with schools, businesses, and cities all encouraged to use the time to do their own drills and share footage or photos with the hastag #ShakeOut or by tagging @ShakeOut on social media.

“Even though Nebraska is not at the top of the list for earthquakes, there is never a bad time to make sure you are prepared to respond to a significant hazard,” explains Diane Mack, UNO’s emergency management director. “The same resources and skillsets that would be utilized after an earthquake would be needed in the aftermath of other major hazards such as a tornado or building collapse.”

During this year’s GreatShakeout, UNO Emergency Management is encouraging the UNO campus to get involved and stay informed about crisis response planning. Here are some ways you can join the national conversation and help keep yourselves prepared for a potential disaster:

• Visit the UNO emergency notification website to learn more about UNOAlert. Students should be automatically enrolled in UNOAlert but faculty and staff will want to check their current status and sign up if they are not already.
  
  
• Once signed up for UNOAlert, make sure your email, phone number, and any other contact information supplied for emergency notifications is correct and up to date.
  
  
• Faculty teaching classes on campus on Oct. 20 are encouraged to register with the Great ShakeOut and take time to guide their students through emergency procedures for their classrooms, including what steps students can take to protect themselves from falling debris. General preparedness tips can be found here.
  
  
• Engage throughout the day on social media with the GreatShakeout by using @ShakeOut or the #ShakeOut hashtag.

Details about UNO’s emergency plans and policies can be found at emergency.unomaha.edu.