It was December 16, 1811, and it was the first of at least three very large (M7 or greater) earthquakes and thousands of aftershocks to rock the region that winter, with the last occurring on February 7, 1812.
Is New Madrid on a fault line?
The New Madrid Fault extends approximately 120 miles southward from the area of Charleston, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois, through Mew Madrid and Caruthersville, following Interstate 55 to Blytheville, then to Marked Tree Arkansas.
How likely is a New Madrid seismic earthquake?
And how likely is it? Seismologists estimate that the New Madrid Seismic Zone has a 25 percent to 40 percent chance of producing a significant quake within the next 50 years, according to Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government.
When was the last major earthquake on the New Madrid fault?
Magnitude ~7.5. The third principal earthquake of the 1811-1812 series. Several destructive shocks occurred on February 7, the last of which equaled or surpassed the magnitude of any previous event. The town of New Madrid was destroyed.
What would happen if the New Madrid fault line went off?
Nearly 200 schools and over 100 fire stations would be damaged; 37 hospitals and 67 police stations would be inoperable the day after the earthquake in the state of Missouri. Thousands of bridges would collapse and railways would be destroyed, paralyzing travel across southeast Missouri.
What states would be affected by the New Madrid fault?
Earthquakes that occur in the New Madrid Seismic Zone potentially threaten parts of eight American states: Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Mississippi.
Will the New Madrid fault erupt?
Bicentennial of the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquake sequence December 2011-2012. A series of earthquakes hit the New Madrid seismic zone of southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, and adjacent parts of Tennessee and Kentucky, in December 1811 to February 1812. Three earthquakes had a magnitude of 7.0 or greater.
What would happen if the New Madrid Fault erupted?
Over 15,000 people would be killed. An additional 120,000 would be displaced. Nearly 200 schools and over 100 fire stations would be damaged; 37 hospitals and 67 police stations would be inoperable the day after the earthquake in the state of Missouri.
Could the New Madrid earthquakes happen again?
Paleoseismic evidence collected in recent decades indicates that strong “earthquake triplets” similar in magnitude to the 1811-12 temblors have occurred approximately every 500 years along the New Madrid fault and are likely to happen again.
What caused the New Madrid earthquakes?
The main shock that occurred at 2:15 am on December 16, 1811, was a result of slippage along the Cottonwood Grove Fault in northeastern Arkansas. It was followed by at least three large aftershocks with magnitudes that ranged from 6.0 to 7.0 over the course of the next 48 hours.
What happens if the New Madrid fault?
What is the New Madrid Fault Zone?
The New Madrid fault zone (NMFZ) is a long-established weakness in the Earth’s crust in the central and eastern US where earthquakes have occurred for hundreds of millions of years.
How many people could die if the New Madrid fault line breaks?
The city of Memphis could see 4,000 deaths resulting from a break in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. FEMA has funded a series of studies on the fault line, including one from 2009 where researchers from Virginia Tech teamed up with researchers from the University of Illinois.
How much damage did the 2004 New Madrid earthquake cause?
A 2004 HAZUS report prepared by FEMA, based on a 7.7 earthquake occurring in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, estimates earthquake damages to be $296 billion dollars across the region and nearly 730,000 people displaced from their homes. In Missouri, the report estimates a direct economic loss of $69 billion dollars and nearly 87,000 damaged buildings.
Is the New Madrid seismic zone dangerous for preppers?
And preppers, it is most certainly a serious and dangerous situation. The New Madrid Seismic zone stretches for 150 miles into five states. From Cairo, Illinois down through New Madrid, Missouri and then on into Arkansas. It also extends into parts of Tennessee.
