This weekend, thousands were killed in Turkey and Syria after an earthquake struck the region, registering at 7.8 on the Richter scale. It has some St. Louisans wondering what type of risk our region is at. KMOX's Maria Keena reports that the risk isn't as bad as some might think.
Robert Herrmann, a professor emeritus of geophysics at St. Louis University, says one reason is that an earthquake would never occur directly under the city.
"One of the problems in Turkey is that the earthquake really occurred underneath the cities," he said. "And so the aspect one has to worry about is just how far away are you from the earthquake."
Sarah Russell, emergency management commissioner for St. Louis, says that there are ways people can prepare and protect themselves. The most basic thing, she said, is to "drop, cover and hold on." She also recommends hiding in voids in your house, like if you have a counter that goes into a corner.
"The other things that I would mention just for earthquakes specifically, if you're in a vehicle when an earthquake happens, pull over and stop," she said. "If you're outdoors, stay outdoors. Don't try to run inside of a building."
She also debunked one widely-spread earthquake safety myth: "One common piece of misinformation has been to get in a doorway," she said. "Do not get into a doorway. Doorways do not provide the type of security that I think a lot of people have learned somewhere along the way, or possibly seen in movies or something."
Hear more about how to protect yourself in a potential earthquake situation:
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