The date was December 16, 1811.
That was the date of the infamous New Madrid Earthquake. The 7.9 magnitude quake was the most powerful earthquake in recorded history. It’s damage spanned as far north as Wisconsin.
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency filed a report in late November 2008 warning of the possibility of another New Madrid quake of that magnitude. The disaster would cause “the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States.”
The Arkansas Department of Emergency Management has been urging residents to be prepared in case of an earthquake. David Maxwell, Director of ADEM, said Arkansas experiences minor earthquakes quite often, but even minor earthquakes shouldn’t be ignored.
"That's something for us to always to be aware of," Maxwell said, "that the potential is there for a really, really catastrophic earthquake."
Maxwell encourages people to develop a disaster preparedness plan and a supply kit in case of a catastrophic event such as an earthquake. He says in our mobile society, one important thing to have is an out-of-state contact.
Maxwell compared an earthquake catastrophe to Hurricane Katrina which hit New Orleans over 10 years ago. He explains why having a contact out of state is so important.
"We saw a lot of people that got separated in New Orleans that had no idea how to contact their family that lived in New Orleans," he said. Maxwell said many people were displaced in that tragedy and ended up living in a shelter. "Being able to reunite with your family is extremely important," he said.
Maxwell said a disaster supply kit with food and water can also come in handy in case of an emergency. He said it could take more than a week for aid to get into heavily impacted areas.
ADEM’s website has tips for what to do in the event of an earthquake.
When an earthquake occurs, Maxwell says to not run out of a building, but to get underneath something sturdy such as a table and to hold on to it. He says the department has been working with other emergency management departments in the country and the federal government since 2011 to create a plan in case the New Madrid Fault line moves again.
According to Maxwell, a New Madrid Earthquake has the potential to not only affect Arkansas, Missouri, and Tennessee, but also Kentucky, Mississippi, Illinois, Indiana, and Alabama.
"We're doing everything we can," he said, "to keep it out in front of, not only our staff, but certainly your listening public.”
Maxwell said ADEM has been using social media and the department’s website to spread the word about being prepared in case of a New Madrid event.
He says earthquake preparedness tips can be found on the department’s website here.