The New Madrid Seismic Zone stretches 140 miles across five states. Between 1811 and 1812, the hammer-shaped fault line was responsible for earthquakes that caused lakes to form in Tennessee, church bells to ring in Boston, and the mighty Mississippi to run backward. These quakes would have measured a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter Scale. In recent years, smaller tremors have only registered 2.0 or 3.0. New Madrid is long over due...

It is a earthquake story that doesn't involve the west coast! It has historical facts about this area on the US that is often overlooked in such tales; as well as the region's lack of preparedness for an earthquake. Plus the bit of education facts about faults, P waves and such were helpful for me.

Some inaccurate facts, mostly when the author has to "fill in gaps" so to speak, a problem in just about any disaster story.

Read more about New Madrid.

8.4 offers an entertaining read for anyone interested in disaster stories. Plus it just might cause some people to move out of the middle of the US.

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Created May 23, 2004 at 1:36pm • Submit your own review...