I know I have mentioned the New Madrid Fault Zone a number of times in the thread about World Wide Seismic Event, and thought I would post a bit of
information about it.
In the winter of 1811-12, the central Mississippi Valley was struck by three of the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history. Even today, this region
has more earthquakes than any other part of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains. Government agencies, universities, and private
organizations are working to increase awareness of the earthquake threat and to reduce loss of life and property in future shocks.
The 400 terrified residents in the town of New Madrid (Missouri) were abruptly awakened by violent shaking and a tremendous roar. It was December 16,
1811, and a powerful earthquake had just struck. This was the first of three magnitude-8 earthquakes and thousands of aftershocks to rock the region
that winter.
Survivors reported that the earthquakes caused cracks to open in the earth's surface, the ground to roll in visible waves, and large areas of land to
sink or rise. The crew of the New Orleans (the first steamboat on the Mississippi, which was on her maiden voyage) reported mooring to an island only
to awake in the morning and find that the island had disappeared below the waters of the Mississippi River. Damage was reported as far away as
Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C.
quake.wr.usgs.gov...
www.imsa.edu...
www.eas.slu.edu... 
