Description
From December 16, 1811, through February 1812, a series of intense intraplate earthquakes shook, rattled, and rolled the Missouri countryside near New Madrid. The initial earthquake registered as a 7.2–8.2 on December 16, 1811, followed by a magnitude 7.4 aftershock on the same day. Two more earthquakes of similar magnitude followed in January and February of 1812. Hundreds more aftershocks followed. They are considered the most powerful earthquakes to hit the United States east of the Rocky Mountains in recorded history. The earthquakes were named for the seismic zone of their occurrence and the Mississippi River town of New Madrid—which at the time, was part of the Louisiana Territory—now within the state of Missouri. Hear the story of those who lived through this arduous ordeal and the aftermath effect on their lives.
