About 520,000 students in Missouri took part in this year’s “Great Shakeout” earthquake drill.  Natalie Nivea McClain was one of the fourth graders who spent several minutes huddled under their desks Thursday in Mrs Lorenz’es classroom at Pershing Elementary.

The kids are taught what to do in the event an earthquake strikes while they’re in school: “drop, cover, hold on.” Experts say you should DROP to your hands and knees, under a table or a desk if you can then COVER your head and neck with your hands and arms; and HOLD ON until the shaking stops.

“We’re supposed to like get under our table, and we’re supposed to hang on to the desk so we can keep it down, and we mostly have to protect our head,” Natalie said. “It actually seemed a little fun”

Channing Xavier Bennett also took a pause from classes under his desk Thursday.

“We go under the table and just stayed under there a while,” Channing said, “it was fun.”

An earthquake in Oklahoma last month was felt in St. Joseph and as far north as Omaha. From 1811-12, the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which includes southeast Missouri, produced some of the largest earthquakes ever in the continental U.S. A major earthquake in that area could result in damage in much of southern and eastern Missouri, including the St. Louis area.

To learn more about earthquakes in Missouri and how to prepare, visit the State Emergency Management Agency’s web site here.