I respectfully disagree on this one. Yellowstone is not something someone in Memphis should worry too much about. But, New Madrid is something people should be aware of, and they should have a plan.
The largest recorded earthquake in the US was there. It WILL happen again, as it has fairly regularly for centuries.
Thanks VL. It could, and according to these experts, sometime in the next 50 years. All the skyscrapers in the great plains will tip over, and all the mighty dams will give way, washing away millions. /jk
Respectfully, the architecture and even the population distribution (and power grid) of the region is probably better prepared by default than the earthquake-prone areas. The big danger in such an event would be urban rioters and looters.
I’d hate to see the small number of deaths that could result from the quake itself. Even here in Michigan we’ve had some (mostly barely) detectable tremors. The worst one (and literally the only one I’ve ever felt) caused a loud noise, sounded like a vehicle hit the back of the house. There was no damage to the house or anywhere in visible range. It was a puzzle until an hour or so later, when I got a text from someone asking if I’d felt it.