Government warns of "catastrophic" U.S. quake

[Dover]

Source: Reuters

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....>




Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE4AJ9EV20081120

[elleng]

1. This is 'NEWS?'

November surprise, along with 11/22/63 and Thanksgiving.

Thanks, folks.

[Ghost Dog]

2. It would be if they were to use

HAARP to provoke it. :silly:

[Demeter]

3. Wishful Thinking, Perhaps

Although why they would want to wipe out the heart of the Red States is beyond me.

[Dover]

4. Hmmm...I wonder if the recent quakes along the Tx/Ok border are tied to the

New Madrid in some way. These recent quakes are/were pretty unusual for that area as far as I know.

Anyway, interesting that they would mention the New Madrid right now. What's the point?

[fudge stripe cookays]

7. I've been wondering about that.

I hadn't checked to see where they originated.

There is the Balcones Fault in Austin, but it's been asleep for years. I didn't know if it stretched up that far.

[Dover]

8. Some interesting info about that and earthquakes in Tx.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balcones_Fault



http://www.ig.utexas.edu/research/projects/eq/faq/tx.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology_of_Texas

[EFerrari]

5. Amateurs.

[Xipe Totec]

9. It was an 8.6 the last time it hit

With 8.0 to 8.8 aftershocks.

[NashVegas]

11. The Mississippi Flowed In Reverse, IIRC

[Blue Gardener]

6. We've been hearing about this for years

It could happen tomorrow, or 10,000 years from now. Nothing I can do about it, just have to hope it doesn't happen.

[slackmaster]

10. There are things you can do about it

Prepare your household to survive without additional food, potable water, medication, gas, electricity, phones, or Internet service for at least several days. My standard is to be ready to live without outside assistance for 3-4 weeks.