MEMPHIS, Tenn. – More than 30 agencies are preparing for a worst-case scenario.
The disaster response exercise is called “Vigilant Guard 2025,” and it takes place throughout Tennessee, starting Monday and ending Sunday, May 18. More than 30 agencies, including the Tennessee Military Department, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and the Tennessee National Guard, will participate in the drill, which comes on the heels of a 4.1 magnitude earthquake that struck near Knoxville on Saturday, May 10. Tremors from that earthquake were felt as far away as Atlanta.
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The training exercise is based on a 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurring along the New Madrid Seismic Zone near Tipton County. Those dozens of agencies will participate in training events at locations across Tennessee, including at the Millington-Memphis Airport. Those crews will work together to respond to numerous situations and conduct search and rescue, critical site security, and infrastructure failure response…