NEW MADRID SEISMIC ZONE (NMSZ) EARTHQUAKE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE ROLES OF THE MISSISSIPPI OFFICE OF GEOLOGY'S ENVIRONMENTAL GEOLOGY DIVISION

Mississippi emergency planners are basing response plans on the occurrence of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake emanating from the NMSZ. Such an event would affect 26 counties in NW Mississippi. Bridges, buildings, pipelines, wastewater treatment facilities, etc. are prone to damage. The Mississippi Office of Geology's Environmental Geology Division is responsible for providing a set of team members that make up a two-member damage assessment team. A geological specialist would lead a geological survey team in conjunction with the National Incident Management System (NIMS) to collect field data for damage assessment. The highly mobile team would have to consist of one subject matter expert for the recognition of earthquake features to lead the team. The other team member would preferably have experience in disaster response and hazardous material training. The team would typically work 12-hour shifts providing the Incident Command System with damage information. The survey team would have to be self-sustainable for 72 hours and deployable for up to 14 days.