About Emergency Management
The Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management (MCOEM) is responsible for developing plans and programs that prepare Montgomery County and its communities to effectively prevent, respond to, and recover from catastrophic disasters.
February is Earthquake Awareness Month!
While earthquakes are sometimes believed to be a West Coast occurrence, there are actually 45 states and territories throughout the United States, including Ohio, that are at moderate to high risk for earthquakes including the New Madrid fault line in Central U.S.
The 2011 East Coast earthquake illustrated the fact that it is impossible to predict when or where an earthquake will occur, so it is important that you and your family are prepared ahead of time.
BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE
- To begin preparing for an earthquake or any disaster, make an emergency supply kit for your home and vehicles, and make a family communications plan to know who to contact during an emergency.
- Prepare the home by fastening shelves securely to walls; place large or heavy objects on lower shelves; brace overhead light fixtures and top-heavy objects; have repaired defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks.
- Locate safe spots in each room of your home, workplace and/or school. A safe spot could be under a sturdy table or desk, or against an interior wall away from windows, bookcases or tall furniture that could fall.
- Practice “Drop, Cover and Hold On” in each safe place. If you don’t have sturdy furniture to hold on to, sit or crouch on the floor next to an interior wall and cover your head and neck with your arms.
DURING AN EARTHQUAKE
Drop, Cover and Hold On. Minimize your movements to a few steps to a nearby safe place.
If Indoors
- Stay indoors until the shaking has stopped and you are sure it is safe to exit.
- DROP to the ground; take COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture; and HOLD ON until the shaking stops. Again, if there is no sturdy furniture to hold on to, crouch on the floor in a corner or next to an interior wall and cover your head and neck with your arms.
- Do not use a doorway for protection. Most doorways are lightly constructed and offer no protection from earthquakes.
- DO NOT use elevators.
If Outdoors
- Stay outdoors in the open, until the shaking stops.
- Move away from buildings, streetlights and utility wires.
If in a Moving Vehicle
- Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses and utility wires.
- Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads, bridges or ramps that may have been damaged by the earthquake.
Visit Ready.gov for more information!
NOAA Weather Radio
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radios are one of the most effective means for you to receive timely warnings of severe weather events. For full details of this program check out the Wilmington National Weather Service Office site. The local NOAA broadcast frequency is 162.475 MHz (WXJ-46).
If you have a radio capable of Specific Area Message Encoding (SAME), the SAME code for Montgomery County is 039113. Click here for more information on the SAME system.
Upcoming Events
Learn about Flood Safety, how to find out if your home is at risk, and Flood. Insurance at the National Weather Service's Flood Safety web site.
Contact
Jeff Jordan, Director
Phone: (937) 224-8934 117 South Main St, Suite 721
Fax: (937) 224-8881 Dayton, OH 45422
Email: jordanj@mcohio.org