It’s a bleak scenario, but a possible scenario!
What if a massive earthquake struck along the New Madrid fault?
Such an extreme natural disaster would kill or injure 60,000 people in Tennessee.
A quarter of a million people would become homeless.
The Memphis airport – the country’s biggest air terminal for packages – would close.
Major oil and gas pipelines across Tennessee would rupture, causing shortages in the Northeast.
In Missouri, another 15,000 people would be hurt or dead.
Cities and towns throughout the central U.S. would lose power and water for months.
Losses stack up to hundreds of billions of dollars.
Fortunately, this magnitude 7.7 temblor is not real but rather a scenario imagined by the Mid-America Earthquake Center and the Institute for Crisis, Disaster and Risk Management at George Washington University.
The goal of their 2009 analysis was to plan for a modern recurrence of quakes that happened along the New Madrid fault more than 200 years ago, in 1811 and 1812.
The New Madrid fault is expected to generate a large-scale earthquake within the next 50 years.
Uncertainty is the maddening aspect of earthquakes. They can’t be predicted, even very big ones.
We know they happen frequently along the earth’s tectonic plates. We also know there are no such plates in the central United States.
Yet that part of the country has had major earthquakes in three zones: the New Madrid fault, which on computer models looks like Harry Potter’s scar slashing across Arkansas, Missouri and Tennessee:
the Wabash Valley fault in Illinois and Indiana:
and the East Tennessee Seismic Zone that runs into Alabama:
These are not like the faults in California, which last had a major earthquake in 1994, when the magnitude 6.7 Northridge temblor killed 57 people and caused $20 billion in damages.
The mid-continent faults rupture less often; New Madrid gets the shakes maybe 200 times a year, about a tenth the number in California.
And earthquakes in the central United States tend to be smaller. The New Madrid fault appears to have a big rupture every 300 years or so; the Wabash Valley has one perhaps every 500 years.
But when quakes do hit the central United States, geology means they are felt much farther away, because the Earth’s crust in the region does not absorb the shock waves in the way it does in the Western United States.
The Northridge earthquake was barely felt in Las Vegas, 250 miles away. Here, a large quake would be felt 1,200 miles away in Canada.
So you better watch out! And get prepared for this impending catastrophic quake! Find similar headlines on Strange Sounds and Steve Quayle.
I’m watching this area especially now. The two recent eclipses we had over the USA made a cross of their shadows right over New Madrid. Also, knowing these are the End Times as predicted in the Bible, it is time for us to get serious in our relations with Jesus. The awesome happenings will come quicker and harder as the time of the Tribulation draws near.
‘If there’s a new way….i’ll be the first in line….but it better work this time!!! – ‘Peace Sells (but whos buyin’) MEGADETH
As I predicted before full moon of January 2020 I have told earth will shaking ring of fire 6-8 now we see USA to Canada and world is shaking plus volcanos plus fires in Australia and massive hail size rain , tornadoes, typhoons and Middle East war with sars-2 corona virus will shape our world. Terrorist gov of Iran only sent Red Cross ambulances for this major plane incidents only couple then 20 of passengers were alive partially Khamanie terrorist orders to kill them.
I don’t thin i’d use the word “imminent” but, it’d be really bad if it went off. Kinda’ expect it actually but not imminently. Everyone needs to check with Dutch on this one. (nothing against ‘Strange Sounds’ of course, i’m happy to see the article, it’s due, that’s for sure) But, these can be kinda’ predicted now with fairly good precision, thanks to Dutchsinse. Always have an earthquake plan and pack a “go bag” for any emergency that could come where you had to go quickly. Keep hard soled shoes near you at all times anyway. An earthquake will leave a lot of glass, rock debris and just about everything else you can imagine. No need to panic if you always stay prepared and have a family meeting outside your house, outside the city and even outside the county so that no matter what, there’s good chance of getting everyone in the family accounted for before the next fix to the situation. A lot of crazy things are happening so everyone needs to do this no matter where you live. It’s true…
[…] But the New Madrid Seismic Zone, a 150 miles long fault line crossing five states – Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee is also long overdue. It is southwest of the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. […]
[…] But the New Madrid Seismic Zone, a 150 miles long fault line crossing five states – Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee is also long overdue. It is southwest of the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. […]
[…] Military trainings may have triggered some. But have you recognized that the booms were heard around the New Madrid fault. Is it going to explode soon? […]
This post has a great graphic! Many small, constant quakes in New Madrid zone these days!
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[…] Strange Sounds – When Will the New Madrid Fault, the Wabash Valley fault, the East Tennessee Seismic Zone Explode? […]