The New Madrid Fault System is rumbling again.
The first earthquake, a M2.0 tremor, hit 1:40 a.m. CST (7:40 UTC), 7km SSE of New Madrid, Missouri, at a depth of 4.2 miles (6.8 km).
About 9 hours later, at 10:30 a.m. and 10:33 a.m. local time, a M2.6 was followed by a M2.0 quake just 4-5km SW of Lilbourn, Missouri. Both quakes were also very shallow (4.9 miles and 5.3 miles).
It is of course too early if those 3 quakes are a sign of the incoming ‘Big One’ along the New Madrid Fault Zone. But let just say that the seismicity in the region has increased in intensity within the last few weeks with several tremors larger than M3.0 in October and in September, repeatedly (Arkansas M3.7, series in Lilbourn, M3.1 in Lilbourn).
Today, it is clear that the 150-mile-long New Madrid Seismic Zone will blow. It’s even so sure that scientists have extrapolated a terrifying 40% chance to blast in the next few decades.
Doing so, the Big New Madrid Quake’ will impact at least 7 states – Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi – with 715,000 buildings damaged and 2.6 millions of people left without power.
Maybe history will even catch us up, and as in 1811 and 1812, a series of over 1,000 earthquakes will again rock the Mississippi River between St. Louis and Memphis. And one might be so great again to cause the river to run backwards for a few hours.
In any cases the New madrid earthquake will be much more devastating than it was 200 years ago. The population has densified over the years, but not all the structures and buildings are earthquake-safe yet.
Always be prepared for the next sudden cataclysmic event.
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