[Viking2002]

They say that the 1811 quake was so strong, it caused church bells to ring in Boston. Now that's an earthquake. Because the New Madrid fault has had so much human activity built up on it since then, they say that the potential damage and loss of life could be even worse than an equally strong San Andreas quake. One reason being, there aren't building codes in force to mitigate the damage the way California has done it. Score one for Cali for a change.

[CaptainK]

The strength of the 1811 earthquake caused the Mississippi River to temporarily flow backwards.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

The Hernando de Soto Bridge (I-40) between Memphis, TN and West Memphis (AR) was actually retrofitted for the possibility of an earthquake a number of years ago.

[wardaddy]

Worse issue is the surface around New Madrid and the adjacent Wabash cleft or whatever they call the spur of New Madrid that runs northeast of Tiptonville TN .....is that the surface is more fluid in general....soil and mud surface

Imagine rumbling under jello or pudding

As opposed to rumbling under sheets of concrete

Less seismic intensity creates a Doppler effect that goes much further out and does exponentially more surface damage at least to the Tennessee River where it gets rocky again

In Nashville in 25 years on three occasions I’ve heard and felt seismic events from New Madrid

Once woke me up with rattling like a helicopter was right over my roof for 20-30 seconds

Another time new New Albany Mississippi in the late 70s I stopped at a gas station on old 78...now interstate 22.....and shelves were in disarray cause one had just hit

And all these were low on the richter compared to west coast or Andean plate tremors

The New Madrid was 8.2

Northridge California in 1994 was 6.7

Mexico City was an 8

One today could be catastrophic

[Vermont Lt]

There are absolutely building codes in place. At least for stuff build in the last 100 years.

Architects can read history.

[Pollard]

It made the Mississippi run backwards for a short time too.

I live in Missouri, oh boy.

[zeugma]

They say that the 1811 quake was so strong, it caused church bells to ring in Boston. Now that's an earthquake. Because the New Madrid fault has had so much human activity built up on it since then, they say that the potential damage and loss of life could be even worse than an equally strong San Andreas quake. One reason being, there aren't building codes in force to mitigate the damage the way California has done it. Score one for Cali for a change.

If I recall correctly, that earthquake is what caused Caddo Lake to form. It is the only natural lake in Texas.