Earthquake Awareness

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) –February is earthquake awareness month.   

You might not think Missouri is at risk for major earthquakes but in 1811 and 1812 the New Madrid seismic zone produced three of the biggest earthquakes the U.S. has ever seen.

The earthquake destroyed landscapes and even caused the Mississippi river to flow backwards for a period of time. 

Hilda Booth works with the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management, and she says the New Madrid seismic line is still very active and runs across 5 states and has the potential to cause very large earthquakes.

According to Booth the fault line produces small quakes every three days or so, but they aren’t big enough to feel.

“We actually do have earthquakes and there is a threat of having a catastrophic quake in the Midwest on the New Madrid.” Says Booth.

Booth says the quake in the 1800’s was massive.

“There was wide felt liquefaction and liquefaction is when the soil becomes unstable and things that are above ground will collapse and things that are above ground will come up so maybe like pipes or gas tanks.” 

Sunken lands which caused huge lakes to form are still here from the quakes of 1811. Unlike other natural disasters earthquakes can’t be tracked. They happen sporadically without warning.

Clayton Kuetemeyer is the Executive Director for Homeland Security of Illinois and he explains what you should do if you experience an earthquake. 

“Take cover and hold onto something such as taking cover under a sturdy desk or table or furniture and hold onto that object until shaking ends”  

Kuetemeyer says you should also get out of traffic or pull over if you’re driving and keep things in your car like flashlights and phone numbers because if we experience a large quake, we could lose phone lines or power. It’s important to remember that earthquakes have aftershocks. So just because the movement temporarily stops doesn’t mean it’s over.  

If you’d like to learn more about earthquakes the annual Earthquake Summit will be held at the Cape Girardeau Osage Center on March 21st.