WN: Increased Earthquake Risk Along New Madrid Fault, USGS says

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WASHINGTON D.C. (Worthy News)– The U.S. Geological Survey updated their seismic hazards map last week, and identified states along the New Madrid fault has the potential for larger and more powerful earthquakes.

USGS says the New Madrid Fault, which runs through a number of midwestern states, has been identified as an area that has potential for larger and more powerful quakes than previously thought.

Far Western Kentucky is highlighted on the map as being an area of "high risk." Geoscientists say if a major earthquake hits along the New Madrid Fault, damage and possibly even fatalities could reach as far as Louisville, Ky.

If a big quake hits the region, there will be plenty of aftershocks. He said unlike California, which experiences little tremors all the time, tension is built up in the midwest. —

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Earthquake Risk Rising in Central U.S., Where Many People Are Unprepared – Wall Street Journal
According to the USGS, the frequency of earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S. has quintupled, to an average of 100 a year during the 2011-2013 period, up from only 20 per year during the 30-year period to 2000.

Walmart Stores Inc., with its huge network of stores and facilities, has also taken note. "We are seeing increased earthquake activity in the central U.S. That is an area we are focusing on even more," said Mark Cooper, senior director of emergency management at Walmart, in an interview. He explained that Walmart takes an "all-hazard" approach to emergency preparedness, but focuses on specific risks in areas of the country where those risks are particularly relevant, such as hurricanes in Louisiana. "A few weeks ago, we participated in an exercise to prepare for an earthquake on the New Madrid fault line," he said.

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