NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Earthquake Awareness Month is here and it’s a good reminder of the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
Most people associate earthquakes with the West Coast, but an area of Tennessee is also an active seismic zone. The New Madrid Seismic Zone, which is partially located in western Tennessee, is best known for the violent earthquakes it produced in the early 1800s.
The years of 1811 and 1812 featured three large earthquakes between magnitude 7 and 8.
- Dec. 16, 1811 - Northeast Arkansas
- Jan. 23, 1812 - New Madrid, MO (Estimated magnitude 7.0 to 7.8)
- Feb. 7, 1812 - New Madrid, MO (Estimated magnitude 7.4 to 8.0)
These three earthquakes rank as some of the largest in the U.S. since its settlement by Europeans.
New Madrid was the largest settlement on the Mississippi River at the time. These earthquakes marked the end of this settlement and many other smaller settlements on the Mississippi.
The region was drastically changed by the earthquakes. The tremors caused bank failures along the Mississippi River, subsidence, and even temporarily forced the Mississippi River to flow backward.
The earthquakes of 1811 and 1812, along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, are reminders that earthquakes have and can occur in our state.
As part of Earthquake Awareness Month, here is a reminder of what to do if you’re ever impacted by an earthquake. Drop to the ground, take cover under something sturdy and hold on until the tremor stops.
Earthquakes can happen at any time, and you want to be prepared if ever impacted by one. Make sure you practice what you would do in the event of an earthquake ahead of time.
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