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Institute for Business & Home Safety News

New Madrid Seismic Zone Alive and Shaking; Despite Some Claims to the Contrary, Take Steps to Prepare

TAMPA, Fla., April 18 PRNewswire-USNewswire — A 5.2-magnitude earthquake that struck a northern portion of the New Madrid Seismic Zone today put cracks in a purported theory that the fault zone is "cold and dying," according to the Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).

While the earthquake, centered five miles northeast of Bellmont, Ill., did not result in major structural damage, it is a reminder of the risks facing residents in the New Madrid area, said Dr. Timothy Reinhold, IBHS director of engineering and vice president. Additional earthquake activity is common after a tremor, so residents should be on-guard against the possibility.

"This should serve as a wake-up call that the chance for significant earthquake activity in this area is very real," Reinhold said. "The fault is not dormant or dying, as some scientists would like us to believe."

A group of scientists recently has been touting a theory that gauges the risks posed by the New Madrid fault as minimal. The same theory has been cited in arguments to try to water down building codes designed to protect homes and businesses against earthquake damage.

Illinois experiences one earthquake annually, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the nation's leading authority on earthquakes. The last quake to cause damage measured 5.0 in magnitude and occurred near Lawrenceville and Olney in 1987.

USGS seismologists estimate chances that a quake measuring 6.3 or greater will strike the Midwest in the next 15 years at 40 percent to 63 percent. That likelihood jumps to 100 percent in the next 50 years.

"Most buildings are constructed to last 50 years or longer, and some families live in the same homes for generations," said IBHS President & CEO Julie Rochman. "Given the predictions, we owe it to ourselves, our families and our communities to view this latest earthquake activity as a reminder of the need to build stronger and safer."

Structural damage to wood-frame homes and light-frame commercial structures typically occurs at much higher ground motion levels than experienced in today's event, which likely produced damage to interior contents and belongings as things fell off shelves and furniture overturned.

For existing homes and businesses, IBHS offers the following guidance to protect interior valuables and appliances. Step-by-step information for completing these low-cost, primarily do-it-yourself projects is available at www.DisasterSafety.org:

— Fit all gas appliances with flexible connections. Know where the main shutoff valve is located and how to turn it off.

— Anchor large appliances, especially water heaters, to walls using safety cables or straps.

— Lock the rollers of any large appliances or pieces of furniture.

— Anchor bookcases and filing cabinets to nearby walls.

— Install latches on drawers and cabinet doors to keep contents from spilling.

— Attach computers and small appliances to desks, tables or countertops.

IBHS is a nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

SOURCE Institute for Business & Home Safety

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