[LucyJo]

One of the strongest series of earthquakes ever to hit the United States happened not in Alaska or along California's San Andreas fault, but in southeast Missouri along the Mississippi River.

In 1811 and 1812, the New Madrid fault zone that zig zags through five states shook so violently that it shifted furniture in Washington, D.C., and rang church bells in Boston. The series of temblors changed the course of the Mississippi River near Memphis, and historical accounts claim the river even flowed backward briefly.

[madison10]

What does it being poor have to do with an earthquake hitting the area?

[hinckley buzzard]

The article fails to mention the fatal factor of a delta quake--liquefaction. The delta is basically a silt bar. Shake it and it liquefies. Everything on top of it, buildings, bridges, levies, will sink like it was water. Nothing will be left but a bunch of "survival kits" floating on the surface, and the occasional boat.

[cripplecreek]

I think this is the most precise prediction I’ve heard about the New Madrid fault. I’d be curious as to what they base it on.

[Cvengr]

Interesting trend for the US. Since about 10 days ago, a great arc from the west coast to Oklahoma City, and now extending further east, along the same arc, had numerous quakes all equidistantly located at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/.

The 6 evenly spaced quakes formed the arc last weekend, and half of them are now dropped off the weekly report at the above link, but they are continuing now to the east into Tennessee.

It’s as if Karl Rove is cutting the US by the Mason Dizon line with his HAARP earthquake and weather machine.

[Disambiguator]

Ping to a subject you covered in your latest book.

[flowerplough]

Don’t need no earthquake. The Mississippi Delta is America’s Haiti, waiting to happen.

[Clay Moore]

News reports of the time said you could see ocean like p waves rolling across fields. Other features were the sand blows where the earth sort of opened up, blew stuff out and swallowed other things.

The liquefaction in the lower water logged areas will be bad.

Unless data has been revised, the Dec. 1811-Jan 1812 quakes were the strongest recorded quakes in North America.

[LaMudBug]

The greatest commercial financial loss in the New Madrid fault area will be to the FedEX operation located at Memphis which handles world wide operations from this site.

Just happened to watch a TV segment last night about the Fed Ex operation located in Memphis. It is one hell of an operation handling shipping worldwide.

I would think that the Risk Manager for Fed Ex has taken the New Madrid seismic zone into consideration and has an alternative site to operate from, when the BIG ONE does come along.

[rintense]

Katrina made NO a third world country in 24 hours.

[Mila]

Seismic Hazard Map, U.S. 48 States

[Joya]

3.7 today, New Madrid fault line.

http://www.kait8.com/global/story.asp?s=12071693

[mad_as_he$$]

When it happens it will be tragic event. The sad thing is that Governments in the region have known about this possibility for years and have not improved building codes. Chile would be millions dead if it weren't for tough building codes.

[Joya]

interesting article

http://www.showme.net/~fkeller/quake/liquefaction.htm