Tornado Record Broken in April

"294 April tornadoes in the U.S."

"Old record - 267 tornadoes in 1974.""

"on average entire month of April sees "only" 163 tornadoes."

"We exceeded that average just in the first half of the month!"

"Over 5200 severe weather reports (tornadoes, hail, and high winds/wind damage) so far in April."

"On average, only about 3300 severe weather reports are tallied in an entire April nationwide."
SOURCE

Calm Before the Storm...

The New Madrid Fault has calmed down the past week. That's would be reassuring if it didn't mean something worse was coming. The analysis from the video states that everywhere in the world is rumbling right now. Everywhere except the New Madrid Fault. When active areas in and around the USA begin to calm down, the New Madrid Fault will begin the shake hardcore.

We have the Giant, 2.4 million (or more?) participant, shake down drill coming up soon. So, I see the window for disaster being between May and the end of November. Novemer begining the 200th anniversary of the huge 1811 quakes.

A Word On Intellicast

Use the link, click overlays, select earthquakes. Viola, read 'em and weep. Check it daily.

LINK

Arkansas Update

13 quakes in 24hrs. Ranging from 2.1 - 4.0....

http://www.intellicast.com/Local/WxMap.aspx

More on Mexico...

Japan aftershock is easy to find news on. However, the Mexico quake news in scarce. Here's a short article from NPR.

HERE

7.1 Aftershock in Japan, BUT DID YOU HEAR ABOUT MEXICO!

The 7.1 aftershock has overshadowed the 6.7 in southern Mexico (outside of Mexico City). Tick tock tick tock says the geologic clock. Read up on the content with the link below.

HERE

Triangle of Life

The triangle of life refers to the triangular voids created from debris when a building collapses during an earthquake or really any other natural disaster. The idea is basically to get beside a table, not under it. Get beside furniture. Don't get in a doorway or near stairs. Both can collapse on you. If your in a city, get beside your car, not in it. This increases your chances for survival according to the linked study below.

I'm not giving advice. I'm just saying what I'm going to do. Consult a professional before making any decisions or planning about you and/or your families survival.

SOURCE

CUSEC Says

"With earthquakes an inevitable part of our future, we must act quickly to ensure that disasters do not become catastrophes. What we do now, before a big earthquake, will determine what our lives will be like afterwards. The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut in April 2011 will involve more than 1 million people through a broad-based outreach program, partnership with the media, and public advocacy by hundreds of partners. This event is being organized by CUSEC and our Member States:  Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee"

"It must involve children at school and parents at work, prompting conversations at home."

"The 2011 ShakeOut drill will be the largest earthquake preparedness event in central U.S. history. Soon, a website detailing ShakeOut drill procedures, registration, and promotion, will be ready at www.ShakeOut.org/centralus."

SOURCE - HERE

Indian Point Nuclear Power Plant

32% of New York City's power comes from a nuclear power plant that sits on a fault line.

" it would be impossible to evacuate Long Island in case of a mishap"

"found evidence of two earthquakes of about 5.2 intensity in the area in 1737 and 1884. "

" indicated quakes seemed to occur every 100 years, meaning another quake might be overdue."

" the last 300 years have indicated there has been some motion, says John Armbruster, one of the authors of the report and a seismologist."

"Recently, the International Energy Agency estimated the global demand for energy will increase 80 percent by 2035."

“In my view that demand assures that in spite of what happened in Fukushima, it will be the go-to source,” says Bryce.

SOURCE HERE

Sounds In the Grounds: The Effects and Aftermath

Agriculture will be haulted.

Rebuilding is predicted to be a 10 year process.

Yes, the earthquake/s are still considered eminent, backed by geological researchers.

"The data sets are presenting the idea that even [large amounts] of [helicopter] delivered [food/aid] will still [require/need] to be [hand carried] to get to the [isolated communities]."

"The local [systems] for everything from [health care] to [fuel delivery] will be [disrupted] for some time in excess of [3/three years] by the [alterations] in the [ground shapes] and [bridges failing]."

SOURCE - HERE

Never Any Good News About the Fault Line

The Federal Emergency Management Agency said if earthquakes strike in what geologists define as the New Madrid Seismic Zone, they would cause "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States."

FEMA predicted a large earthquake would cause "widespread and catastrophic physical damage" across Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee -- home to some 44 million people.

Tennessee is likely to be hardest hit, according to the study that sought to gauge the impact of a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in order to guide the government's response.

In Tennessee alone, it forecast hundreds of collapsed bridges, tens of thousands of severely damaged buildings and a half a million.

SOURCE HERE

How Safe Is Your House?

"If your house was built before 1993 in Jackson or Madison County, odds are your framework is not attached to the foundation."
 
"The old building codes didn't require it; so most contractors didn't do it. The sheer weight of
 materials keeps the house in place."
 
"But that could spell trouble if a powerful earthquake strikes the New Madrid Seismic Zone. A magnitude 7 or greater earthquake could easily jolt a Jackson house off its foundation and cause major damage."

"houses in Madison County "are not built to earthquake standards."

"Scientists now believe that when a major earthquake of magnitude 7 or greater strikes again on the New Madrid fault, Jackson's older schools, office buildings and houses could sustain significant damage."

"If you crank the magnitude up to a 6 or 7 and on up ... Jackson could expect to have damage," said Jim Wilkinson, executive director of the Central United States Earthquake Consortium.
A study released by FEMA estimates that damages in Jackson and Madison County could total almost $2 billion if a magnitude 7.7 or greater earthquake strikes. Damages in Memphis and Shelby County could total close to $20 billion."

SOURCE - Jackson Sun

The Big Ones Back Then: 1,800 Quakes In 4 1/2 Months

"It was about 2 a.m. on Dec. 16, 1811, when the first of three powerful earthquakes terrified the Indians and small number of pioneers who had settled in the Reelfoot region. About 400 residents made up the town of New Madrid in Missouri territory, across the Mississippi River from what is now known as Tiptonville. The three earthquakes are believed to be the most powerful to ever occur in the United States, and they were accompanied by hundreds of smaller quakes."

"A lot of people think there were only one or two earthquakes, but there were over 1,800 earthquakes recorded in a 4 1/2 month period between Dec. 16, 1811, and March of 1812," Douglas said. "Five of those quakes were said to range from 8 to 8.7 (in magnitude). They were enormous earthquakes, some of the largest in world history."
 
"The December quake was followed by major shocks on Jan. 23, 1812, and Feb. 7, 1812. The February earthquake centered near New Madrid, Mo., is believed to be the biggest of the three, based on newspaper accounts of damage to buildings, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quakes rang church bells 1,000 miles away in Boston, cracked sidewalks in Washington, D.C., and rattled china in the Colorado Rockies."

"Research during the past 20 years has shown "that strong earthquakes in the central Mississippi Valley are not freak events but have occurred repeatedly in the geologic past." The first recorded earthquake in what is known as the New Madrid Seismic Zone occurred on Christmas Day, 1699. Since the area was sparsely populated, it is unknown how many deaths occurred during the first big quakes."
 
"There had to be fatalities (in 1811-1812), but we don't know," said David Haggard, a park ranger the past 20 years at Reelfoot Lake State Park. "It was a time in history when they didn't keep records."
 
"Researchers know that fatalities could be overwhelming when nature unleashes another round of magnitude 7 or 8 earthquakes on the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which includes metropolitan areas like Memphis and Saint Louis. It's just a matter of time."

SOURCE - JACKSON SUN

Earthquake Insurance

"It's very, very important," Milam said. "I council my policy holders to get earthquake insurance all the time, with us being near the New Madrid fault. If we have a magnitude 6 or greater earthquake, there could be some real losses here."

"Rates are higher the closer you get to the New Madrid Seismic Zone. In The Jackson Sun's circulation area, Crockett County is the closest since it borders Dyer County. Part of the New Madrid fault line reaches southeast from the Tiptonville area to Dyersburg in Dyer County."

"We advise people to get earthquake coverage, but about 50 percent don't," Hughes said. "It costs about $1.40 per $1,000 of coverage for a brick home and about $1 per $1,000 for a frame house. And there's a 5-percent deductible."
 
"So, for a $100,000 house, annual coverage costs $100 for a frame home and $140 for a brick home."

"Hughes said it is obvious that all the old buildings in the towns of Bells and Alamo would quickly crumble if a major earthquake strikes on the New Madrid fault. He said he knows of at least one building that collapsed due to daily vibrations caused by trains passing through town."

"I've only felt one tremor in my life; so it's something none of us experience, and we don't think about it," Black said. "It's hard to believe a big earthquake could really happen. But they tell us it can; so you should probably have earthquake insurance if you live in this part of the country."

SOURCE - Jackson Sun

Sums It All Up

"Much of West Tennessee is located near the New Madrid Fault, which previously was the site of an earthquake of similar magnitude some 200 years ago. Geologists are nearly unanimous that it could, and very likely will, happen again. In such an event, there would be widespread damage in West Tennessee, East Arkansas, Southwest Missouri and Western Kentucky."

"Considerable planning has been done by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and local agencies such as the Jackson-Madison County Emergency Management Agency."

"What hasn't been done, however, is the creation of a widespread public information effort to make residents aware of the possibility, the dangers and what to do in the event of a serious earthquake. The lessons we are learning from the Japan earthquake should be a warning that the public must be better informed."

"We are told that in the event of a major New Madrid quake, Jackson would become a major staging point for recovery efforts. Everything from transportation of rescuers and supplies to air traffic to supplying food and medical products and services could be staged in Jackson area facilities."

SOURCE - Jackson Sun

Preparedness movement growing

So if I'm into being prepared I'm a Mormon? Uh, no. I'm just prepared. The article subtly suggests that the exponential growth in preparedness is wacky by attaching Mormonism to it. Whatever, just take control and initiative. Be prepared. Better safe than sorry.

SOURCE