Emergency Preparedness at SIU
You can expect it to take at least three minutes before any help will arrive in an emergency. In the event of a major disaster, it could easily be three days before assistance begins arriving from outside our area. While those of us who work in the field of public safety will do our best to help, there is much you can do to help yourself, and increase your chances of survival.
Get Prepared
The good news is that earthquakes occur in the New Madrid Seismic Zone much less often than they do in other, better-known parts of the United States.
The bad news is that when they do occur, the likelihood of severe damage is very high.
Severe weather happens, often, in Southern Illinois. Strong thunderstorms and scattered tornadoes being the most common threat.
The key to surviving severe weather is to be aware of the likelihood of it happening on any given day, taking watches and warnings of severe weather seriously, and having a plan for where you want to be or where you will need to go in the event you are warned of imminent danger.