New Madrid Fault Line

[Strider]

Just got done reading a newspaper article about the possibility of a New Madrid earthquake. Basically, the article said there's a 90% chance of a 6.0 or higher happening before the year 2010. I doubt there "stats" are right, it's near impossible to predict an earthquake anyway.

However, I live inside of the general area and there's not a single building that's earthquake proofed. I've been all the way down to Blytheville, AR and been to reelfoot lake acouple of times. There is nothing in the entire area that will make it through an earthquake.

Both St. Louis and Memphis lay barely outside of the fault line, but still close enoguh to take some massive damage if a earthquake does happening.

What do you guys think? Is it a diaster waiting to happen?

BTW, the last time there was a major earthquake on this fault line.. the Mississippi River flowed backwards and there was shaking all the way to Boston and New York.

 

[bhsup]

Yes, it'll happen, and it's going to be very bad. Part of the problem has to do with soil/ground makeup around here. Unlike San Francisco, this area will allow the waves to travel MUCH further (I saw a map once, I'll find it before the end of the post), so the area affected is going to be massive.

While it can't really be predicted, they can make guesses based on how long it's been since the last one and comparing it to history and so forth. One is coming, and I wouldn't at all be surprised if it were within 25-30 years. There was a big brouhaha back in the early 90s I think when this 'seer' or something like that predicted an exact date it was going to go. All of the local radio and TV stations in the KC area (and other areas of the State) sent reporters to the Missouri bootheel to report on it. Nutty.

Woo! Found that area map at wiki. All hail wiki! Scroll down on the following link to the map that is to the right of the section titled "More quakes predicted".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Seismic_Zone