This will make an interesting thing to survive one day

I lived in Evansville IN for a while. I remember two very minor earthquakes in the 3 years or so that I was there. I wouldn't say they're very well prepared, but there is a general awareness of the potential for a big one. 20% chance before 2040 according to the first article. It'll definitely be ugly when/if it happens.
 
Im in So Cal for school right now and we had two earth quakes in two days, it almost feels like a big one is coming some time soon.
 
wade said:
Im in So Cal for school right now and we had two earth quakes in two days, it almost feels like a big one is coming some time soon.
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Shhhhh!!

I'm sitting in a hotel room near San Francisco right now. I'd like to keep this business trip as uneventful as possible.
All my stuff is back in Michigan and I haven't brushed up on my looting skills yet. :p
 
I live in the area "V", on the west side, I grew up in STL and remember as a kid an earthquake. We were in a hardware store and stuff up stairs was falling over.

During the 1811-1812 quakes, legend says the Mississippi flowed backwards for 3 days. If you look at a map, east of STL in Ill, there is a lake named Horseshoe Lake, (shaped like a horseshoe, oddly) that was the river before the quakes. They changed the coarse of the Mississippi.
EQ's have always been a factor in my preparedness. Part of the reason I moved out of the city.
 
I visited Reelfoot Lake in Tennessee. It's the largest natural lake in the state, and was supposedly created by the Madrid earthquake.

I also recall a few years back when some quack "scientist" had "predicted" a specific time when the earthquake would re-occur. People came from all over to watch. Naturally, absolutely nothing happened.
 
The biggest problem with a potential New Madrid earthquake will likely be the sheer death and destruction. Places like California have lived with a steady stream of quakes forever, and building codes and people's attitudes reflect that reality. When a significant quake hits the New Madrid affected area, you can expect lots of building crashing down like houses of cards. One can only guess what will happen to the people inside. Old brick buildings in particular don't seem to do well.
 
The planet goes through its cycles, some are small like the hurricanes and earthquakes that happen each year. Then there are the big ones that only happen every few hundred years.

Its been pretty quiet for a long time. I suspect when something happens the loss of life and property will be huge, combined with the fact that many have no survival skills. It will be a big shock for all. People freak out when the power goes out for a couple of hours. It will be interesting when the power and everything else is out for months or even years.

Its not a question of if, but rather when it's going to happen.
 
We in the Northwest are probably going to provide the "How to..." and "What NOT to do..." for such an event when we get the next Cascadia event. We are way overdue and we are going to be screwed in a way nobody in the country has ever seen according to geologists up here.
 
In California we are always waiting for "The Big One". Every time I see a major earthquake in some part of the world, I rush around and make sure the shelves in the pantry are all stocked, we have plenty of candles, and camp stove fuel, ammo, Then sit back and wait. Am I paranoid? Maybe.
 
I just saw a special on TV about the New Madrid fault and that is some sobering info. Here in Western WA we have the Juan De Fuca fault just off the coast which "slips" every 300 years and produces a 9.0 quake and tidal wave. It has been just under 300 yrs since the last one and when it goes we are going to be screwed on so many levels. The tidal wave will hit the coast within 20 minutes and there won't be any warnings from authorities.

All we can do around those types of faults is be prepared to live in the stone age for several weeks (or more).
 
I read the book, "The Rift". The information provided on the actual the quake is pretty plausible with regards to the distruction and effect on the Mississippi River. The portion about the nuclear plant was pretty interesting. The story about the "survival camp" was pretty stupid. However, there are all kinds of people in this world and in a crisis the good and bad come out.

Some preparedness is probably prudent. From the show on the History Channel, the New Madrid Fault (NMF) seems to have a major quake about every 300 years as mentioned above for the Juan De Fuca Fault above. The last big one on the NMF was in 1812. So, if the 300 year frequency is reasonably predictive, we're still about 100 years away from the next big one. But big one it will be. The country and the people will never be prepared for such a disaster. We'll do the best we can when it happens.

Firearms will play an important role in the event of a major NMF quake. Survival skills will be important. If you live near a major river, a boat may be a good idea as part of your "kit".
 
Bob W said:
II also recall a few years back when some quack "scientist" had "predicted" a specific time when the earthquake would re-occur. People came from all over to watch. Naturally, absolutely nothing happened.
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His name was Ivan Browning, he predicted the quake would hit in 1993. In 1991 I became was part of an Emergency Response team that in part was created by our local Sheriff's Dept. to prepare for it as well as other emergencies.

Thankfully Mr. Browning was wrong! :D
 
shecky said:
The biggest problem with a potential New Madrid earthquake will likely be the sheer death and destruction. Places like California have lived with a steady stream of quakes forever, and building codes and people's attitudes reflect that reality. When a significant quake hits the New Madrid affected area, you can expect lots of building crashing down like houses of cards. One can only guess what will happen to the people inside. Old brick buildings in particular don't seem to do well.
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Maybe, I am wrong about the death and destruction but there are not alot of
tall buildings around here. Memphis doesn't have tons of large sky scappers. I am sure some water supplies would get cut off, but what other kinds of castatrophic things can we expect? The tallest building in my town is 4 stories and a couple of church steeples.
 
johnny reb said:
In California we are always waiting for "The Big One". Every time I see a major earthquake in some part of the world, I rush around and make sure the shelves in the pantry are all stocked, we have plenty of candles, and camp stove fuel, ammo, Then sit back and wait. Am I paranoid? Maybe.
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Hey reb, do you have any provisions stored away from your home? In a major quake, you may not be able to get into certain parts of your home due to collapse, etc., not to mention that ruptured gas lines are the main problem in a quake. Keeping water, food, medical, extra clothing and other essentials in a shed away from falling trees, power lines and your home might be a good idea. Especially if you are in the southern and central parts of the state.
 
I live right next to the New Madrid faultline. In our public schools around here they drill for earthquakes all the time.
 
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