The Greatest Earthquake in North America

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This morning the Midwest area of the US received a surprise from mother nature. Not a fluke snow storm, not massive tornadoes, but rather a rare Earth Quake. This time the damage was minor and no reported deaths. We get reports every time California shakes that this could be then next big one. Most people know of the 1906 San Francisco quake and many consider it the worst one in the US (lower 48). But was it the worst in the US during recorded history? It is actually ranked #6 by the US Geological Survey http://earthquake.usgs.gov (USGS). The number one quake was in Northwestern US on January 26, 1700. It was estimated to be around a 9 on the Richter Scale. This caused damage from Northern California into British Columbia and caused a Tsunami in Japan. Surprisingly the number 2 and 3 of all quakes in the lower 48 occurred along the New Madrid Fault in the Midwest part of the country in 1811. This quake was felt all across the US and did the most damage to the landscape. It created many new lakes and changed the course of the Mississippi River. There were 3 major quakes over a periods of 2 years along he Madrid Fault. These occurred between 1811 and 1812. Two of the top three quakes in the lower 48 occurred along this fault during this time period. These quakes are not widely known simply because so few people lived in this area at the time. If such a quake were to occur today the results would be much different. This area has grown in population and it is projected that deaths could run as high as 50,000 and property damage in the billions should such a quake occur now. How prepared is the area for such a quake and is today just a wake up call?