Understanding Hazards in the Central and Eastern U.S.

Research and products for loss reduction in the Central and Eastern U.S. is accomplished through partnerships among USGS and academic, government, and private partners. USGS staff are located in the Memphis, Tennessee, field office at the Center for Earthquake Research and Information (CERI), in Golden, Colorado, and in Menlo Park, California.

The map to the right shows earthquakes (circles) greater than magnitude 3.0 since 1974 plotted on the 2008 USGS National Seismic Hazard Map for the central and eastern United States. Warmer colors on this map indicate areas of higher hazard. Larger earthquakes are represented by larger circles.

Highlights

• 20 Cool Facts About the New Madrid Seismic Zone

  Commemorating the Bicentennial of the New Madrid earthquake sequence, December 1811-February 1812

• Eastern U.S. shaken by magnitude 5.8 earthquake causing damage in Virginia and Washington, D.C.

  Map showing the earthquake location and 140,000 "Did You Feel It?" responses that the USGS received for the August 23, 2011 earthquake. This earthquake was felt throughout the eastern US from central Georgia to central Maine and west to Detroit, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois. This earthquake was felt by more people than any other earthquake in U.S. history. Fortunately, there were no deaths related to the earthquake.

  Earthquake summary poster for the August 23, 2011, Magnitude 5.8 Virginia earthquake

  For more information about Virginia earthquakes.

• 2012 Great Central U.S. ShakeOut!

  On February 7, 2012, at 10:15 a.m., thousands of people across eight states will participate in the 2012 Great Central U.S. ShakeOut. Be a part of the ShakeOut, register now!

• June 7, 2011, Magnitude 3.9 earthquake felt in St. Louis

  Map showing the earthquake location and regional earthquakes since 1990.

• New Madrid Seismic Zone Quaternary Fault Localities

  Map shows the localities where Quaternary faulting has been detected in the subsurface, and the results published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

• New Madrid Earthquake Scenario Poster

  Earthquake Summary Poster for the New Madrid Scenario Earthquake Exercise.

• New Madrid Bicentennial

  In 2011 and 2012, there will be events held throughout the central United States observing the 200th Anniversary of the great 1811 and 1812 New Madrid earthquakes that forever changed the mid-western landscape.

• Earthquake Hazard in the New Madrid Seismic Zone Remains a Concern

  There is broad agreement in the scientific community that a continuing concern exists for a major destructive earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone. Many structures in Memphis, Tenn., St. Louis, Mo., and other communities in the central Mississippi River Valley region are vulnerable and at risk from severe ground shaking. This assessment is based on decades of research on New Madrid earthquakes and related phenomena by dozens of Federal, university, State, and consulting earth scientists.

• Earthquake Event Posters

  Download PDFs about recent significant earthquakes in the Central and Eastern U.S.

• Bicentennial of the 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquake Sequence December 2011-2012

  A series of earthquakes hit the New Madrid seismic zone of southeastern Missouri, northeastern Arkansas, and adjacent parts of Tennessee and Kentucky, in December 1811 to February 1812.

• Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country--Your Handbook for Earthquakes in the Central United States

  Maps of ground motion and shaking intensity for significant earthquakes. Google Earth KML files are in the Downloads area for each individual earthquake under the GIS Files heading.