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TechnographNew Madrid fault line could cause devastation
By Andy Seifert
Posted: 3/14/06 Section: News
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The New Madrid fault line doesn't have the notoriety of the San Andreas in California, but it could cause billions of dollars in damage to a region not known for its seismic activity.
This was the warning presented by Amr Elnashai and Jerome Hajjar, director and deputy director, respectively, of the Mid-America Earthquake Center located in the Newman Civil Engineering Lab, as they appeared Sunday night on "It Could Happen Tomorrow," a new series on the Weather Channel.
The show features a new natural phenomenon each night that has the potential for severe damage to a segment of America. The series has already taped shows that focus on a Category 3 hurricane hitting New York City or an F5 tornado in the middle of downtown Dallas.
But on Sunday night, Elnashai and Hajjar explained the potentially devastating effects of a massive earthquake on the New Madrid fault line, something that is estimated to happen every 400 or 500 years.
"If such an event happens, and it really is when, as opposed to if, the effects would be an absolute disaster at a magnitude we have never seen," Elnashai said.
Memphis and St. Louis would be the first major cities to feel the earthquake, and they would sustain the most damage. Elnashai estimated the total cost of damage to the region would be $200 billion, and that 50-60 percent of houses in Memphis would be damaged.
"It would look like an area hit by nuclear explosion," Elnashai said on the show.
He also said Champaign would feel the earthquake, and direct damage to the city would be minimal, but Champaign would be affected in a multitude of other ways.
"Champaign would feel it very strongly, but it is not in imminent danger," Elnashai said. "However, the economies being closely linked, the effects would be felt almost everywhere."
He said he believes food supply would be weakened, power would be offline for some time and transportation would be difficult with major airports down.
This was the warning presented by Amr Elnashai and Jerome Hajjar, director and deputy director, respectively, of the Mid-America Earthquake Center located in the Newman Civil Engineering Lab, as they appeared Sunday night on "It Could Happen Tomorrow," a new series on the Weather Channel.
The show features a new natural phenomenon each night that has the potential for severe damage to a segment of America. The series has already taped shows that focus on a Category 3 hurricane hitting New York City or an F5 tornado in the middle of downtown Dallas.
But on Sunday night, Elnashai and Hajjar explained the potentially devastating effects of a massive earthquake on the New Madrid fault line, something that is estimated to happen every 400 or 500 years.
"If such an event happens, and it really is when, as opposed to if, the effects would be an absolute disaster at a magnitude we have never seen," Elnashai said.
Memphis and St. Louis would be the first major cities to feel the earthquake, and they would sustain the most damage. Elnashai estimated the total cost of damage to the region would be $200 billion, and that 50-60 percent of houses in Memphis would be damaged.
"It would look like an area hit by nuclear explosion," Elnashai said on the show.
He also said Champaign would feel the earthquake, and direct damage to the city would be minimal, but Champaign would be affected in a multitude of other ways.
"Champaign would feel it very strongly, but it is not in imminent danger," Elnashai said. "However, the economies being closely linked, the effects would be felt almost everywhere."
He said he believes food supply would be weakened, power would be offline for some time and transportation would be difficult with major airports down.
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