As part of Earthquake Awareness Month, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium has a two-part Facebook Live series scheduled at 10 a.m. on February 3rd and February 10th.

Missourians were reminded two months ago that the state’s New Madrid Seismic Zone is one of the most active seismic zones in the U.S. Just before 9 p.m. on Nov. 17, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake near Poplar Bluff rattled furniture and shook wall hangings in thousands of homes. With that in mind, Missouri observes Earthquake Awareness Month each February to emphasize the very real risk of a catastrophic earthquake occurring in southeast Missouri. This area has produced some of the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history. A series of major quakes occurred in 1811-12, destroying buildings, ringing church bells hundreds of miles away, and briefly causing the Mississippi River to run backward. While no one can predict exactly when an earthquake will occur, scientists agree that large earthquakes in this zone still pose a risk. The November 17th temblor was the largest in Missouri since 1991. Effects could be felt as far away as St. Louis and Memphis, Tennessee. The area averages more than 200 earthquakes each year, though most are too small to be felt. As part of Earthquake Awareness Month, the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium has a two-part Facebook Live series scheduled at 10 a.m. on February 3rd and February 10th.