Southeast Missouri sees multiple small earthquakes in last 7 days

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KBSI) – The New Madrid fault line runs through Southeast Missouri, and multiple other states.

Experts say the New Madrid fault line produces hundreds of earthquakes a year, we just typically don’t feel them.

According to SEMA(State Emergency Management Agency) the Southeast Missouri area has seen 9 smaller quakes in 7 days.

However, experts are saying this isn’t a cause for concern.

Starting week of April 29 2025 Earthquake activity recorded for Southeast Missouri area:

6 km ESE of Marston, Missouri -2.39

1 km NE of Marston, Missouri- 1.34

0 km N of Howardville, Missouri- 2.62

1 km NW of Marston, Missouri- 2.78

1 km NNE of Marston, Missouri – 1.49

1 km NE of Marston, Missouri – 1.3

1 km NE of Marston, Missouri – 2.31

2 km NE of Marston, Missouri- 1.44

For more details you can check the Earthquake map Recent Earthquake Activity | SEMA.

The New Madrid Fault Line that runs through Missouri produced a massive earthquake in 1811. Since then, emergency management agencies and earthquake experts have watched for when it could happen again.

Earthquake Program Manager Jeff Briggs shares details.

“This is not unusual. We have in the New Madrid seismic zone; we get well over 200 earthquakes a year on average” says Briggs.

According to Brigg’s the size of the earthquake is what experts’ watch out for. He shares that a magnitude 3 and lower you may not even feel but a magnitude 4 and higher would be noticeable and cause potential damage. The Poplar Bluff area saw a magnitude 4 earthquake in 2021 but nothing that strong has been recorded for the area since.

“In the last 7 days we’ve had 9 earthquakes, in the last 30 days we’ve had 17 earthquakes. So, this level of activity is pretty typical for us to see, it does not necessarily mean anything in terms of a big one is coming or anything like that. This is just the way the New Madrid seismic zone works” says Briggs.

The New Madrid fault line has the potential to produce a very large earthquake that could cause a massive amount of damage. Experts are constantly watching the activity of the New Madrid seismic zone for this reason; however, an earthquake cannot be pre-determined.

There is no season, or prewarning. It just happens.

Briggs says this is why preparation for an earthquake is vital.   

“We don’t want people running outside and running around because falling stuff could fall on you and hurt you. We want people to fall to the ground wherever they are. Cover up if you can, cover your head, get under a desk or a table if you can and if not then cover your head with your arms and then hold on to whatever’s covering you or protecting you until the shaking stops.” 

The Great Shake Out is an earthquake drill held each year to help spread awareness around preparation.

Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills – Select Your ShakeOut Region