Missouri sees earthquake swarm along New Madrid fault Monday

Is the big one about to hit the central United States? Maybe not but a swarm of medium-sized earthquakes in Missouri’s New Madrid region has residents on edge.

The area of the New Madrid fault is the site of the nation’s most powerful earthquakes ever east of the Rocky Mountains which occurred in 1811–12 and caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards. This same area experienced six quakes on Monday, September 30 according to officials with the United States Geological Survey.

Two larger quakes were originally reported as 2.8 in magnitude each. They were later each downgraded to 2.7 magnitude.

The third large quake was originally reported as a 2.7 magnitude. It was later downgraded to a 2.6 magnitude.

A sixth was recorded later in the day.

All six recorded earthquakes include:

• 11:18 a.m. – 2.6 magnitude earthquake southwest of Lilbourn, Mo.
• 11:21 a.m. – 1.1 magnitude earthquake south, southwest of Lilbourn, Mo.
• 11:29 a.m. – 2.7 magnitude earthquake southwest of Lilbourn, Mo.
• 11:34 a.m. – 1.8 magnitude earthquake south, southwest of Lilbourn, Mo.
• 11:57 a.m. – 2.7 magnitude earthquake west of Lilbourn, Mo.
• 3:31 p.m. – 2.5 magnitude earthquake southwest of Lilbourn, Mo.

According to the USGS, there have been 12 earthquakes in the past seven days in the Heartland.

If an earthquake that size hit today, cities from St. Louis to Memphis would see extensive damage in the hundreds of Billions with a loss of possibly thousands of lives. Midwestern cities typically do not have building codes that account for earthquakes because of their relatively rare occurrence.

Residents of Missouri, northwest Tennessee, northeast Arkansas and western Kentucky have been asked to take necessary precautions ahead of possible future temblors on Tuesday.

–Dwight Widaman