Overview:  This course provides participants with the larger view of the event and then gets into the specific medical consequences and gaps in response capability.  Modeling shows that Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri are most severely impacted.  Illinois and Kentucky are also impacted, though not as severely as the previous three states. Nearly 715,000 buildings are damaged in the eight-state study region. About 42,000 search and rescue personnel working in 1,500 teams are required to respond to the earthquakes. Damage to critical infrastructure (essential facilities, transportation and utility lifelines) is substantial in the 140 impacted counties near the rupture zone, including 3,500 damaged bridges and nearly 425,000 breaks and leaks to both local and interstate pipelines. Approximately 2.6 million households are without power after the earthquake. Nearly 86,000 injuries and fatalities result from damage to infrastructure. Nearly 130 hospitals are damaged and most are located in the impacted counties near the rupture zone. There is extensive damage and substantial travel delays in both Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri, thus hampering search and rescue as well as evacuation. Moreover roughly 15 major bridges are unusable. Three days after the earthquake, 7.2 million people are still displaced and 2 million people seek temporary shelter. Direct economic losses for the eight states total nearly $300 billion, while indirect losses may be at least twice this amount.

At the end of the course participants will:

  • Appreciate catastrophes are different from disasters
  • Understand the New Madrid Event and the “big picture” consequence
  • Understand the more detailed view of medical consequences and shortfalls.
  • Appreciate pre-planning is a challenge but critical to minimize preventable morbidity and mortality.

Target Audience:  All organizations, businesses and agencies nationwide.

Duration: Course length is eight hours.

For more details about the course or scheduling opportunities, please emailabetteremergency@gmail.com.