Carolina Forest Elementary School held an earthquake preparedness drill Tuesday morning to recognize South Carolina Earthquake Awareness Week, designated by Governor Nikki Haley.
"You never know when a natural disaster will happen. We want to make sure our students are prepared and safe," Principal Dennis Devorick said.
At 9:30 a.m., the South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the National Weather Service toned an alert test over NOAA's weather radio.
In schools like Carolina Forest Elementary, students followed directions given over the loudspeaker which included stopping what they were doing, getting under something stable and not leaving the building until they were cleared by a school employee.
"All the students were prepared. The teachers did a great job explaining to the students what they should do. They were all ducked and safe and under their desks and tables and well prepared in case of an emergency," Devorick said.
An estimated 15 to 20 measurable tremors are recorded in South Carolina each year.
"Our teachers are prepared. They each have a flip chart with different drills and procedures that we review annually with them, so that they're prepared for all different types of emergencies," Devorick said.
Earthquake Awareness Week runs Nov. 6-12.
