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Earthquake Rattles Midwestern Towns, Briefly Reverses Mississippi River
by
findingDulcinea Staff
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake rattled three Midwestern states, briefly reversing the flow of the Mississippi River.
30-Second Summary
No major injuries have been reported, but thousands of people were shaken in their beds as an earthquake and a few aftershocks hit part of the Midwest early Friday morning.
The 5.2 magnitude earthquake that rattled Illinois, Indiana and Ohio today is not uncommon. The region sits along the New Madrid fault system, named for a small Missouri town that in 1811 was the epicenter of three massive earthquakes felt over a period of months. Each quake was punctuated with untold numbers of aftershocks.
The quakes destroyed houses, submerged islands and even made the Mississippi briefly run backwards in some places. The destruction, as well as reports of a sulfurous odor permeating the air, terrified residents.
Nearly 20 years ago, climatologist Iben Browning predicted that a large earthquake would hit New Madrid in December 1990. News media descended on the quiet town, but nothing happened.
The town’s mayor at the time said he was grateful that Browning had raised awareness about New Madrid’s lack of preparation for such an event, even if it hadn’t happened.
Since most people assume earthquakes only happen in California, officials at the United States Geological Service and other agencies worry that the Midwest isn’t prepared if earthquakes like those in 1811 were to happen again today.
The 5.2 magnitude earthquake that rattled Illinois, Indiana and Ohio today is not uncommon. The region sits along the New Madrid fault system, named for a small Missouri town that in 1811 was the epicenter of three massive earthquakes felt over a period of months. Each quake was punctuated with untold numbers of aftershocks.
The quakes destroyed houses, submerged islands and even made the Mississippi briefly run backwards in some places. The destruction, as well as reports of a sulfurous odor permeating the air, terrified residents.
Nearly 20 years ago, climatologist Iben Browning predicted that a large earthquake would hit New Madrid in December 1990. News media descended on the quiet town, but nothing happened.
The town’s mayor at the time said he was grateful that Browning had raised awareness about New Madrid’s lack of preparation for such an event, even if it hadn’t happened.
Since most people assume earthquakes only happen in California, officials at the United States Geological Service and other agencies worry that the Midwest isn’t prepared if earthquakes like those in 1811 were to happen again today.
Headline Links: ‘Earthquake rattles Indiana this morning’
The earthquake’s epicenter was in southeastern Illinois, where chimneys and a porch collapsed. The quake was felt as far north as Wisconsin and as far south as Kentucky.
Source: Indianapolis Star
Historical Context: 1811-1812 earthquakes; 1990 false alarm
The earthquakes in the early 1800s were powerful—magnitude 7 or 8. A compilation of observations from around the Midwest and East Coast described lakes that looked like they were boiling and air filled with smoke or fog. “In some places, sand, mud, water, and stone-coal were reported to have been thrown up thirty yards high.”
Source: United States Geological Service
National Geographic magazine, in 2000, looked back a decade to December 1990, when a single man had predicted that a massive earthquake would hit New Madrid, Missouri, which sits on the fault of the same name. The prediction created a national frenzy.
Source: National Geographic
Iben Browning, who predicted the earthquake, died in 1991. The mayor of New Madrid, Dick Phillips, didn’t feel any ill will toward Browning for the situation. He told the Associated Press then, “In this particular case, thank God, his prediction didn't come to pass, but it made us realize that we had never made any kind of preparations for a natural disaster. We owe him for that.”
Source: Showme.net
Related: Concerns about today
In 1811, the region most affected by the New Madrid earthquakes was sparsely populated. Population growth in the Midwest in the intervening 200 years has raised concerns about the destruction and loss of life that could occur if a quake occurred today.
Source: U.S. Geological Service
Reference: Midwest at risk for earthquakes
The New Madrid Fault zone is “the greatest earthquake risk east of the Rocky Mountains,” according to the University of Memphis.
Source: Center for Earthquake Research and Information
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