Tennessee National Guard Participating in Quake Response Exercise

Tennessee National Guard members and emergency response officials are holding an exercise this week to simulate the response to a large earthquake along the New Madrid fault.

More than 1,000 guardsmen and other responders will participate in the exercise that runs through Thursday.

The New Madrid zone stretches 150 miles, crossing parts of Tennessee and six other states. In 1811 and 1812, it unleashed a trio of powerful jolts that rattled the central Mississippi River valley.

Maj. Gen. Max Haston, the commander of the Tennessee National Guard, says the exercise will demonstrate the close relationship with the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency. Haston says the Guard’s mission includes “providing the governor with troops ready to respond to disasters or civil disturbance here at home.”