Government warns of "catastrophic" U.S. quake

[China]

Government warns of "catastrophic" U.S. quake

By Carey Gillam Carey Gillam – Thu Nov 20

KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – People in a vast seismic zone in the southern and midwestern United States would face catastrophic damage if a major earthquake struck there and should ensure that builders keep that risk in mind, a government report said on Thursday.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said if earthquakes strike in what geologists define as the New Madrid Seismic Zone, they would cause "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States."

FEMA predicted a large earthquake would cause "widespread and catastrophic physical damage" across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee -- home to some 44 million people.

Tennessee is likely to be hardest hit, according to the study that sought to gauge the impact of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in order to guide the government's response.

In Tennessee alone, it forecast hundreds of collapsed bridges, tens of thousands of severely damaged buildings and a half a million households without water.

Transportation systems and hospitals would be wrecked, and police and fire departments impaired, the study said.

The zone, named for the town of New Madrid in Missouri's southeast corner, is subject to frequent mild earthquakes.

Experts have long tried to predict the likelihood of a major quake like those that struck in 1811 and 1812. These shifted the course of the Mississippi River and rang church bells on the East Coast but caused few deaths amid a sparse population.

Click on the link for the full article

[DeanCollins]

wow that's pretty vague and involves a huge area. you'd think that they would be more specific such as western tenn. My mountain home is 1 mile from the eastern TN border.
suck it up zoony

[twa]

Only a matter of time,just like Cali or Yellowstone or a cat5 hitting along the gulf

lots of earthquake swarms lately...that can be good or bad though.

It can always get worse

[Bang]

"If a big earthquake hits, it will be bad"

In other news, bears still **** in the woods.

~Bang

[IbleedBnG83]

Scary stuff...

[PeterMP]

"If a big earthquake hits, it will be bad"

In other news, bears still **** in the woods.

~Bang

I think the point is, unlike in much of CA where there are building restrictions and requirements associated with earthquakes, there are little to no considerations in much of that part of the country, yet probabilitically it is a region likely to have a signficant earthquake at sometime and much of the associated risk/cost can be diminished by looking at things like building codes.

[Koolblue13]

Are they making this up, like their most recent GW temp findings?

[twa]

Are they making this up, like their most recent GW temp findings?

Not at all, the New Madrid fault is well documented,predicting the likelihood is another matter

[Larry]

"If a big earthquake hits, it will be bad"

In other news, bears still **** in the woods.

~Bang

"If a big earthquake hits five years from now, people will point at this study, and blame the Government".

[WVUforREDSKINS]

Not at all, the New Madrid fault is well documented,predicting the likelihood is another matter

So to go along with the yellowstone eruption





and the global warming map





Its all doom and gloom. Grab your knife and head to Maine

[Johnny Punani]

Bye Bye Memphis BBQ...

:sad:

[Johnny Punani]

and the global warming map





Its all doom and gloom. Grab your knife and head to Maine

According to your GW map my house will be on beach front property. I'm not leaving for anything.

[Koolblue13]

So wait, if the GW map is correct, Jersey goes away completely and PA retains it's border and becomes beach front?

I'm going to go warm my car up so it's ready at 5 tonight.

[Special K]

Don't worry folks, it's gonna be the San Andreas fault here in SoCal that goes first. The best part, my campus is essentially right on top of the fault. So just in case I don't get the chance before the big one hits...

[BG]

I saw something on this on discovery. It would greatly effect Memphis, St. Louis and KC.