Kids hunker down to prepare for earthquakes

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - People living in Indiana are not usually concerned about earthquakes, but some area schools are making sure their students are ready.

All around the country Thursday, schools took part in the Great Shake Out Earthquake Drill. 

During the drill, alarms sound and students get under their desks. The principal gives instructions over intercom to the huddled kids on how to properly protect themselves from falling objects such as ceiling tiles and bookcases.

Even though the chances of an earthquake in Indiana are small, teachers and staff want to make sure their students are ready for anything.   

"I think preparation is the key because the thing you don't want the students to feel like they don't know what to do,” Sunnyside Principal Kevin Maxwell said. “They need to know the expectations, and then they feel like they're confident and they don't feel afraid.”

"He told us that it's important make sure we get under the table and make sure we put some stuff out of the way so it doesn't fall on anybody,” Fifth grader Sarah Spalding said. “I'm not really afraid of earthquakes. I just don't want something falling on my head."

According to the American Red Cross, millions of kids participate in the drill every year.