Howardville: Town with Highest Probability of Earthquakes in Missouri

In the state of Missouri, the town of Howardville had the highest earthquake probability rating.

While most towns in Missouri don't experience earthquakes frequently, some are at a noticeably higher risk. Missouri, which is in the Midwest, is famous for its violent storms and earthquakes.

New Madrid Fault Line

According to USGS statistics, the New Madrid Seismic Zone, also called the New Madrid Fault Line, spans five states, including Missouri, and is a source for intraplate earthquakes that typically happen between 3 and 15 miles beneath the Earth's surface.

Due to faults created during the Cambrian Period that are located within the Reelfoot Rift, which exposes the region to compressive forces from the movement of the North American Plate, the tectonically active zone experiences significant seismic activity despite being far from a plate boundary. This causes numerous small earthquakes.

Missouri Past Disasters

According to Missouri Legal Services, Missouri has been the subject of over 35 federal significant disaster declarations since 1990.

The most frequent natural catastrophes in the state, according to these declarations, are earthquakes, flooding, ice storms, and tornadoes. The Great Flood of 1993, which was brought on by above-average rainfall and below-average temperatures, is considered to be the most expensive flood in US history.

It significantly affected Missouri, causing damage to houses, infrastructure, and crops. Numerous other floods, including the Great Flood of 1951 and the Johnson's Shut-Ins Flood in 2005, also wreaked havoc on the state.

The biggest earthquakes ever recorded in the US east of the Rocky Mountains were the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812, which ranged in magnitude from 7.2 to 8.2. There were fallen riverbanks, fallen homes, and uprooted trees throughout the region as a result of the earthquakes, which were felt severely over a 50,000 square mile area and mildly over a 1 million square mile range.

Howardville, Missouri

With a score of 134.04 on the earthquake index, Howardville in New Madrid County, Missouri, has a higher risk of earthquakes than New Madrid, which is close by and has a score of 133.31. In comparison to the rest of the country, this places Howardville in the "Very High" category for earthquake risk, while it still ranks lower than certain western US cities like McGee Creek, California, which has a score of 167.57 on the seismic index.

Wildlife and Earthquakes

It is common knowledge that earthquakes may seriously harm communities, individuals, and landscapes. Earthquakes can ruin animals in addition to hurting people's livelihoods and property. Landslides caused by earthquakes can obliterate animal and bird nesting grounds. They may also harm buildings and dams, which could result in disastrous flooding.

Conservation and animal organizations seek to assess the harm done to wildlife and determine the necessary procedures to protect and preserve vulnerable species whenever significant earthquakes occur.

Brief Dos and Don'ts in an Earthquake

To lessen the effects of earthquakes on one's home and family, one can take precautions including securing or tying goods, identifying safe zones inside the home, avoiding doors and windows, covering one's head and neck, and staying indoors until the shaking stops. If the trembling continues after a minute, people in tsunami-prone areas should move to the highest ground available inland, AZ Animals reports.