National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Photo: Big Earthquake Could Devastate U.S. Midwest, Experts Warn


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A photo taken in 1904 shows ridges created by landslides in the woods of Tennessee following the New Madrid, Missouri, earthquakes of 1811-1812. The first of three powerful quakes was felt as far away as Boston, Massachusetts.

Much of the affected area was undeveloped at the time, so damage was relatively light. But experts warn that a similar event today could devastate cities like Memphis, Tennessee, and St. Louis, Missouri.

Photograph courtesy USGS