Missouri officials say they're prepared for next major quake

JEFFERSON CITY— Missouri emergency management officials say they’re better prepared for a major earthquake, thanks in part to last month’s 5.2 quake in southern Illinois.

Susie Stonner of the State Emergency Management Agency says the state response to the April 18 temblor turned into a training exercise of sorts for the next major earthquake that happens in Missouri.

She cites as an example the Missouri Department of Transportation’s automatic inspection of all roads and bridges in the state’s most earthquake-prone counties.

Other state agencies in Missouri reviewed their earthquake plans after the Illinois event but made no major changes.

A workshop was also held in Jefferson City last week to make sure that federal, state and local earthquake plans complement each other.

Missouri has 47 counties that are prone to earthquakes.