Missouri Earthquake Preparedness

Message from SEMA Director Paul Parmenter

Missourians know all too well that in this state we face the risk of tornadoes, floods and winter storms. Because these events affect our state on a regular basis, most of us understand the risks and make preparations based on our individual risk assessments. But with the 200th anniversary of the Great New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-12 as a reminder, there´s another type of risk that Missourians are hearing a lot about. It´s one that I hope people will pay attention to and plan for.

Residents of 47 Missouri counties live within or near what’s called the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), and face the risk of a major earthquake. The NMSZ starts near Cairo, Illinois and runs through southeast Missouri near Caruthersville, New Madrid and Hayti, and ends near Marked Tree, Arkansas. As we remember the anniversary of one of the largest seismic events in United States history (there were at least three major New Madrid quakes from December 1811 – February 1812), each of us should ask ourselves, "How well prepared am I?"

The southeast Missouri ice storm of January 2009 proved that some hearty residents in Dunklin County, New Madrid County and other parts of southeast Missouri have what it takes to get by without electricity for up to two weeks. 

A major NMSZ earthquake could pose far more challenging conditions for many more Missourians. In addition to electric power, a major earthquake could lead to many damaged homes and businesses and disrupt water service , communications and transportation—and therefore the availability of food, gasoline, and other essential products—for days, or longer. And remember, earthquakes hit without any advance notice!

As a result, it’s important that we’re all prepared to take care of ourselves and our families until essential services can be fully restored. Most emergency managers teach that residents should be prepared to be self-sufficient for the first 96 hours following a disaster. The State Emergency Management Agency wants to help you prepare in case you’re in an area where a disaster occurs—this is good planning for all of us, no matter what the hazard.