PROGRESS REPORT

Progress in Implementing Strategies

In its 1997 report A Strategic Plan for Earthquake Safety in Missouri, and its 1998 supplement, Earthquakes and Missouri, Annual Report to the Governor, the Commission outlined 37 strategies under five broad objectives for addressing the Missouri earthquake threat. One strategy under each objective was identified for emphasis during 1997-1999. These are repeated here together with their corresponding objective:

1. Increase Earthquake Awareness and Education: Increase earthquake awareness among key individuals.
2. Reduce Earthquake Risk through Mitigation: Promote adoption and enforcement of appropriate building codes.
3. Improve Emergency Response: Promote community emergency response teams (CERTs) statewide.
4. Improve Recovery: Identify earthquake resistant shelters.
5. Assess Earthquake Hazard: Develop a response team to evaluate post- earthquake effects.

Progress has been made in implementing these strategies. The progress of some of these strategies has been limited by the amount of involvement of the Commission or its constituent members. The following provides examples of the progress made in the state since the issuance of our 1998 Annual Report.

1. Progress in Education

Objective 1 of the Strategic Plan for Earthquake Safety in Missouri is to increase earthquake awareness and education. Three strategies have been developed to do this. The first strategy targets the general public. The second strategy targets key professionals in critical fields, who have the potential to raise earthquake awareness among the general public and K-12 students. The third strategy targets K-12 students.

Earthquake Awareness Week (EQAW) is the centerpiece of this awareness effort, which is recognized each year in Missouri during the week of February 7. Preliminary plans for 1999 Earthquake Awareness Week included specific days of that week dedicated to targeted audiences. For example, Wednesday, February 3 was selected as Engineering and Design Day. A special technical program for engineers, architects, and construction managers was planned. Thursday, February 4, Business and Industry Day, included a special program for decision-makers in business and industry. Saturday, February 6, was Educators and General Public Day, which included special exhibits, demonstrations, and handouts at the St. Louis Science Center. A poster contest for K-6 students was also developed and planned. Many of the events scheduled for the 1999 Earthquake Awareness Week were successful. Several in-place organizations which offered to promote elements of 1999 EQAW, either canceled, compromised, or failed their mission. As a result, 1999 EQAW was less successful than previous years. The audience of key professionals in business and industry was delegated to a group in the St. Louis area. The program was successful, but attendance at the Thursday, February 4th program was lacking. The statewide audience of K-6 (kindergarten through sixth graders) was to have been offered participation in an Earthquake Awareness Week Poster Contest. However, after several months of discussion, the sought-after sponsoring organization declined to provide leadership for the contest. Development of the Poster Contest was completed by MSSC and assumed by the Center for Earthquake Studies (CES) in Cape Girardeau in September 1998.

The audience of educators and the general public was well served by the event held Saturday, February 6 at the St. Louis Science Center. Booths were staffed by volunteers from the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI), the American Society for Civil Engineering (ASCE), the Mid-America Earthquake (MAE) Center, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), St. Louis University, Washington University, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and others. Hundreds of people visited the booths and staffers that day. This event was the most successful of all efforts in the St. Louis metro region for Earthquake Awareness Week 1999.

Several other efforts in 1999 supported Objective 1. Some include:

• continuous announcements on NOAA Weather Radio were requested from NOAA station managers;

• radio interviews, via SEMA Public Information Officer;

• newspaper articles, six via SEMA Public Information Officer, one via Center for Earthquake Studies (CES); and

• presentations by CES staff, all in the southeastern part of Missouri.

Plans for Earthquake Awareness Week 2000 are underway. A key resource was tapped successfully in late 1998. Dr. Michael Kramer's Communications 377 course at the University of Missouri, Columbia, created a public relations program for Missouri Earthquake Awareness Week. Early in the fall semester, the students and their professor met with a representative of the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission to learn about the earthquake issue in Missouri. For a major part of their semester-long class assignment, the students created radio and television public service announcements (PSA's), ideas to implement earthquake awareness in Missouri, and other materials. This resulted in practical ideas, possible vehicles for implementation for the MSSC as well as resume-ready work experience for the students.

Because some of the momentum gained during 1997 and 1998 Earthquake Awareness Weeks was lost in 1999, during 2000, the MSSC will try to encourage some of the organizations to redouble their efforts to promote Earthquake Awareness Week. Initiatives for support to several private businesses have already been sent by the Public Information Officer of SEMA. Earthquake Awareness Week 2000 will benefit from the lessons learned in 1999.

The Mid-America Earthquake Center is developing new material for earthquake public education of children. They are looking for schools to fine tune the materials and the MSSC will be assisting them in testing the materials during 2000.

The Center for Earthquake Studies is still in operation at South East Missouri State University and is going through another transition period with a new Education Specialist. The MSSC continues to support the joint effort between SEMA and SEMSU to provide information to the residents in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

2. Progress in Mitigation

Ten strategies for mitigating earthquake hazards in Missouri were developed in the 1997 Strategic Plan. The top priority strategies involve adopting codes and procedures for designing and constructing buildings that are earthquake resistant. The most cost-effective way to do that is to design and construct new buildings in accordance with the seismic provisions of standard building codes.

While it appears that this is being accomplished in the larger metropolitan areas, such as the City and County of St. Louis and Kansas City, it is not clear that this is the case with smaller municipalities where the earthquake risk is the greatest.

The Missouri Seismic Safety Commission is represented on the Governor's Commission for the Review and Formulation of Building Code Implementation. The Chairman and Vice Chairman of MSSC appeared before the Building Code Commission to support the common goals of the two commissions.

Because of the risks to the transportation system in Eastern Missouri, another priority mitigation strategy is to accelerate the program to assess, retrofit and/or replace bridges that do not meet current earthquake design standards. Although this is the responsibility of the Missouri Department of Transportation and steps are being taken to achieve this objective, much more work needs to be done. The MSSC co-sponsored with MoDOT a very successful conference for the DOT's in the seven states that comprise the Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC). Follow on conferences are being planned with the first in the autumn of 2000.

The MSSC is beginning to assess the status of earthquake design and construction practices in the bootheel area of the state. This will be a focus of the Mitigation Committee's activities in the coming year.

3. Progress in Improving Emergency Response

The Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) continue to be a prime focus for the Response and Recovery Committee recommendations. The CERT training in the form of train-the-trainers continue to be taught by the SEMA Training Section. Many other state and local agencies have started to integrate the training into their curricula. The CERT training effectively organizes volunteers within a community, neighborhood, or business; provides them with rudimentary basic training in fire safety, light rescue, disaster medical operations, hazard inspection and other necessary services that may or may not be available in the post-disaster environment. The popularity of this program is based on the assumption that in a major multi-state disaster, help will be delayed or diverted to the areas needing the greatest amount of help, therefore, a trained cadre of self-sufficient volunteers helping their neighbors is a needed asset.

Of the many agencies adopting this program three outstanding groups should be commended:

Missouri Department of Transportation has undertaken a program for CERT training at the district level in all areas of the state with a prime focus in the districts directly affected by the New Madrid Fault.

The City of Cape Girardeau, in conjunction with FEMA's Project Impact, has started to teach the CERT training to citizens. They plan a minimum of three courses in the next funding cycle.

Missouri SEMA has taught four CERT train-the-trainers courses to 143 persons during FY-99 and this led to the course being given to over seven different groups with 107 people trained at the local level.

During the past year, the following activities also occurred:

• Boone County Urban Search and Rescue was placed on stand-by for the earthquakes in Turkey, Taiwan, and Mexico.
• The Missouri National Guard has committed to rewriting their Earthquake Response Annex to their operational plan.
• MoDOT, MONG, Motor Carrier and Railway Safety and SEMA reviewed the use of state aircraft for preliminary reconnaissance in the event of a disaster.

4. Progress in Recovery

During the past year, Missouri SEMA, in coordination with the Central United States Earthquake Consortium, arranged for and taught a train-the-trainer for the Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Potential Seismic Hazards (ATC-21). The training was held in Cape Girardeau and Memphis, Tennessee. Over 40 persons were taught by specialists in the field of engineering. In addition, a train-the-trainer session was held in St. Louis where over 25 persons from Illinois and Missouri were taught the Post Earthquake Safety Evaluation of Buildings (ATC-20 - SAVE Coalition). SEMA continues to sponsor and teach this course at the local level, training 173 volunteer architects and engineers.

With assistance from FEMA's Project Impact grant, the City of Cape Girardeau is installing seismic protection valves at the Gordonville Road Water Tank #1. The seismic system is intended to prevent the rupture of the connections to the distribution system where the outflow pipe meets the tank. The valves will automatically isolate these storage tanks from the distribution system. This would minimize the loss of treated water and reduce the risk of cross contamination due to distribution system failures in a seismic event. When completed, Cape Girardeau will be the first community in the Midwest with seismic protection valves on a water storage tank. The city has plans to install seismic protection valves at other vital water storage tanks as funds become available.

Missouri Department of Transportation has concluded that real-time seismographic research equipment should be installed in the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge at Cape Girardeau. The equipment will measure the stress, strain, vertical and horizontal forces (movement) of the bridge during an earthquake. The information gathered from this equipment will be fed directly to the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado. Results of this monitoring will be used to improve the seismic design of bridges in the mid-west. The Emerson Bridge is due to be completed in 2003 and is designed to withstand an earthquake of Richter magnitude of 8.2.

5. Progress in Hazards Assessment

The Geoscience Committee has been involved with Strategic Plan issues in the past year. The Objective 5 Strategies follow:

Strategy 1 - Mapping Geologic Hazards.
Strategy 2 - Real-time Earthquake Notification.
Strategy 3 - Geoscience Response Teams.
Strategy 4 - Generalized soil parameters.

The Geoscience Committee recommends to the MSSC that additional funding be sought for Mapping Geologic Hazards. DGLS will continue the mapping process, if funding is available from SEMA, CUSEC and federal sources. The mapping effort is a first step at providing estimates of earthquake hazard to communities at risk. The committee recommends that MSSC press for continued and increased funding for this effort. Insurance, agricultural, real-estate and financial communities could greatly reduce risk or apportion earthquake reduction programs by this mapping.

A system for Real-time Earthquake Notification is being deployed in California. This elaborate, high-maintenance system being phased into operation is the prototype for the Advanced National Seismic System concept being proposed for funding under the federal National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program. This system would entail a quantum leap improvement is the nation's ability to rapidly assess the scope of an earthquake disaster. Saint Louis University will be a local component of the national system.

DGLS has a useful plan to initiate Geoscience Response to Missouri earthquakes. This committee has worked to:

• propose broad and flexible plan to get qualified personnel in the field with equipment;

• recognize the limited, but important, requirement to assist with emergency response (primarily through providing field data to SEMA);

• acknowledge that there is no single scenario for response. Variables include large or small events, epicenters within Missouri or just outside state boundaries, and assistance requests by other CUSEC states;

• develop federal coordination or training with the state program;

• promote an exercise coordinated with a community earthquake activity (on paper but with telephone contact of field personnel);

• inventory and develop equipment needs for access and purchase over several years; and,

• secure funding for training/exercises, plan coordination, and equipment.

  The committee requests that DGLS consider the following goals for the Geoscience Response Teams:

Primary

• acquire temporal, geoscience data in the meizoseismic area immediately following an earthquake with available resources;
  
• coordinate with and report major findings daily to SEMA and DGLS;
  
• be a facilitating body for a central, earthquake-data clearinghouse with government and private researchers of acquired information and locations of near-term study;

Secondary

• assist Missouri's emergency response with field data reports and other appropriate activities; and,
  
• aid SEMA and researchers, to a limited extent, in gaining field access in high damage areas.

Generalized soil parameters are being researched on several scientific fronts. Databases of actual soil types and algorithms applying ground-motion for specified earthquakes will need more development. Development of a soils database could be conducted if an appropriate state lead were found. The database could be assembled from federal, state and local government information and from private firms. Proper use of such parameters is partly dependent on Strategy 1 - Mapping Geologic Hazards.

Other Developments

In October, 1998, the Seismic Safety Commission participated via phone conference call with the Missouri Insurance Information Service and the Missouri Insurance Coalition. Seventy-five agencies or agents were represented and the thrust of the presentations was to encourage this group to make earthquake supplemental insurance available to all residents of Missouri that wanted or felt they needed it.

In September, 1999, Immediate Past Chairman Robert B. Herrmann made a live presentation to the same group in their general session.

In March, 1999, the Seismic Safety Commission co-sponsored with Federal Highway Administration and Missouri Department of Transportation a three-day Seismic Highway Conference that was attended by 334 people from all over the United States. The main thrust of this conference was to determine if there was a separate need to develop a Central United States specific design standard for highway bridges to the American Association of Highway and State Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards. The results of the conference yielded a commitment by MoDOT to do further research into the field. They further committed to make sure that the new Emerson Memorial Bridge in Cape Girardeau will be fitted with real-time seismic monitoring to determine the need for a unique bridge standard for the Central U.S.

At the request of FEMA, Former Commission Chairman Greg Hempen attended a NEHRP Seismic Workshop in Washington, D.C. in September, 1999, for developing and implementing the new National Earthquake Program (NEP) for earthquake hazard research implementation and funding priorities.

The Seismic Safety Commission co-sponsored a briefing on the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Taiwan. The briefing was organized by the firm of EQE International and was presented at the St. Louis Art Museum on October 1, 1999. The attendance was 225 architects, engineers, public officials, emergency managers, collegiate students, and industrial representatives. The main presenter was Mr. Peter Yanev, founder of EQE, and world renown seismic engineer.

Through its meetings and commissioner attendance at special conferences, the Commission has been assisting the Missouri Department of Insurance in clarifying issues that affect earthquake insurance rates within the State. This fostering of communication and sharing of expertise is seen as a major purpose of the Commission.

Highlights of Commission Meetings 1998-1999

February 5-6, 1998 at St. Louis

• David Hoffman, Department of Natural Resources, Geological Survey - presented evidence of new fault recently found in Stoddard County.
• Commissioner Phyllis Steckel, Awareness and Education Chair, announced the Earthquakes Means Business Seminar will be held the next day. Over 300 business men and women attended at the St. Louis Science Center.
• Mitigation Chair Wm. Durbin indicated that the new Mississippi County Courthouse in Charleston, Missouri will be built to seismic standards.
• MSSC Chair Robert B. Herrmann announced that the new Mid-America Earthquake Center will be based at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, but will have two programs directed out of St. Louis by Washington University and St. Louis University.
• Geoscience Response Teams are the primary focus of the Geoscience Committee.

May 27, 1998 at Jefferson City

• Commission as a Committee of the Whole put the finishing touches on the Earthquakes and Missouri: Annual Report to the Governor - 1998.
• Commissioner Steckel gave a full report on the Earthquakes Mean Business Workshop and other activities of Earthquake Awareness Week.
• Karla Snyder-Petty (Federal Highway Administration) and Shayam Gupta (MoDOT) made a presentation on the Mid-America Highway Seismic Conference. MSSC votes to be a co-sponsor of the Conference.
• Mark Doerner of the Department of Insurance asked the Commission to assist his review of the Insurance Services Office request to raise insurance rates by as much as 400% in some parts of Missouri.
• Frank Dolan and Carl Finke (DNR-Solid Waste Program) spoke on the licensing of solid waste landfills in Southeast Missouri.

October 8, 1998 at St. Louis

• Dr. James H. Williams, DNR-DGLS, spoke on the activities of the Association of CUSEC State Geologists and their mapping program. They have changed their focus to do detail mapping of FEMA sponsored Project Impact cities and this would include Cape Girardeau, Missouri.
• MSSC participated in a conference call with 350 insurers attending the Missouri Insurance Information Service/Missouri Insurance Coalition.
• Dr. Williams gave an overview of the Missouri Dam Safety Program that is domiciled in his department.

November 19, 1998 at Columbia

• Jason Ramsey of the Governor's Office reported on the new appointments to the Commission.
• Mark Doerner - Dept. of Insurance, John Reynolds - Insurance Services Office, Richard Brownlee -Attorney for ISO, and Don Windler of Risk Management Solutions presented their ideas on computer modeling for determining loss estimation for basis of the new earthquake insurance rates.
• Nominating Committee recommended that William L. Durbin be elected chairman of the Missouri Seismic Safety Commission. Dr. Phillip L. Gould was retained as Vice-Chairman; Marie Collins as Secretary and Thomas R. Schweyte as Treasurer.
• Students from University of Missouri gave presentations as part of their Communications' class on ideas for Earthquake Awareness Week.

March 19, 1999 at Jefferson City

• Reception was held for new Commissioners; Susan I. Green/American Red Cross; Pamela J. Nunn/Jefferson County Emergency Managment; and Thomas C. Roeseler/NationsBank of St. Louis. Theodore Pruess of EQE International joined in May, 1999 representing the Structural Engineering.
• New officers were elected following the recommendation of the Nominating Commmittee.
• MSSC voted to seek funds to hold a Seismic Advisory Group meeting in St. Louis in conjunction with the EERI meeting in May, 2000.

June 7-8, 1999 at St. Louis

• Mark Doerner gave update on the Insurance rate increases. He has asked that the MSSC provide technical assistance if he develops his own loss estimation methodology to verify the ISO proposals.
• MSSC Commission voted to endorse the adoption and funding of the Advanced National Seismographic System.
• Staff member Edward S. Gray gave a report on the SAVE Coalition activiation for the Fredericktown, Missouri flood of April 3, 1999.
• Mr. Dan Doogan of LOOS & Company made a presentation on seismic restraints for earthquake resistant designs.

October 21-22, 1999 at Cape Girardeau

• Mitigation Committee met with local building officials to determine status of building code implementation and inspection services.
• MSSC presented plaque to FEMA Liaison Joe Rachel who accepted position in Atlanta, Georgia with FEMA Region IV.
• City of Cape Girardeau (Ken Eftink, Lloyd Heberlie and Terry Falk) made a presentation on Project Activities in the City of Cape Girardeau. They also made a presentation on HAZUS, the FEMA sponsored loss estimation methodology.
• Commissioner Phyllis Steckel presented an overview of the Governor's Commission on Review and Formulation of Building Code Implementation.
• Commissioners toured the English Hills (Benton Hills) faulting along the Commerce Lineament with members of the Cape Girardeau Project Impact Team.

Acknowledgments

The original group of Seismic Safety Commissioners was appointed by Governor Carnahan in 1995, the new group was appointed this year. One person, who has assisted the Commission as a liaison from the Federal government (FEMA) since its inception has been Joseph A. Rachel of FEMA Region VII (Kansas City). Mr. Rachel has been extremely helpful in providing timely information for the Commission and assisting with the Missouri Emergency Management Earthquake Program.

Finally the Commission also would like to thank SEMA Director Jerry B. Uhlmann and his staff for their support of the Commission and its objectives this past year. We look forward to working with Director Uhlmann to make Missouri a seismically safer state.

Missouri Seismic Safety Commission toured the English Hills "Fault" System as a part of the Commission meeting of October 21-22, 1999. Pictured are officials of Cape Girardeau and MSSC on October 22, 1999 near Benton, Missouri.

Left to Right:

Ms. Charlotte Craig, Cape Girardeau County, Department of Health

Mr. Ken Eftink, Development Services Coordinator, City of Cape Girardeau

Mr. Mark A. Winkler, SEMA Area Coordinator - Southeast Missouri

Mr. Jack Lakenan, Director, Perry County Emergency Management Agency

Ms. Phyllis J. Steckel, Missouri Seismic Safety Commission - Washington, Missouri

Mr. Terry L. Fulk, Jr., Director, City of Cape Girardeau Emergency Manager & Project Impact Coordinator.

Mr. Leonard G. Weber, Landowner of the Holly Ridge Portion of the English Hills digs.

Mr. Joseph A. Rachel, FEMA Liaison, FEMA Region VII, Kansas City, Missouri

Mr. Mark Hasheider, Missouri Seismic Safety Commission, City of Cape Girardeau Fire Department.

Mr. David Hoffman, DNR-DGLS (With Hoe), Rolla, Missouri

Mr. David Hitt, Director, Cape Girardeau County Emergency Management Agency

Mr. Lloyd Heberlie, Graduate Student Intern, City of Cape Girardeau.

Mr. William L. Durbin, Chairman, Missouri Seismic Safety Commission, St. Louis

Mr. Gregory L. Hempen, Missouri Seismic Safety Commission, St. Louis

Mr. Thomas Roeseler, Missouri Seismic Safety Commission, St. Louis

Mr. Theodore Pruess, Missouri Seismic Safety Commission, St. Louis

Picture by Edward S. Gray, Missouri Seismic Safety Commission Staff, Jefferson City