Midwest must improve earthquake preparedness

On Dec. 16, 1811, an earthquake estimated at 8.0 on the Richter Scale rocked the small river town of New Madrid, Missouri. Houses crumpled in St. Louis, shockwaves rang churchbells in Boston, Mass., and — according to legend — one farmer found that his citizenship shifted from Missouri to Illinois overnight.

And that was just the beginning. In all, four earthquakes of equal strength affected an area of 50,000 square miles in what became the most destructive earthquake ever recorded in the eastern United States.

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake estimated at 8.9 on the Richter Scale rocked the nation of Japan. At first, skyscrapers swayed and houses crumpled, but then — in as little as 15 minutes in some areas — the tsunami waves began to flood in, leaving a wake of destruction and heartbreak in their path. Again, entire towns have been wiped off the map. At least 10,000 people are believed dead. The infrastructure of northern Japan is left in shambles — and two nuclear power plants are on the verge of meltdowns.

Not only is this the worst earthquake to ever hit Japan, but now the premier calls it the worst national crisis since World War II.

Clearly there is no comparison between the damage incurred to a few hundred Missouri Territory residents 200 years ago and the widespread catastrophe we see in Japan today. However, if Missourians — and other citizens of the Midwest — don't learn from what happened in 1811 in the U.S. and what's happening right now in Japan, we could be in the news next.

That's right, we're almost certain to see an earthquake hit similar to that of 1811 — except this time it will be much worse.

In 2008, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that an earthquake in the New Madrid fault line could result in "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States."

Missouri, Illinois, Tennessee and Alabama would all be greatly affected by the disaster.

It's not difficult to imagine just how dreadful the destruction would be. Homes and communities all along the Mississippi would be leveled to the ground, our economy could suffer billions in damages and many people in Memphis, Cape Girardeau and St. Louis would likely lose their lives. That's what is destined to happen if we don't take measures to prepare for the earthquake that is inevitable.

Japan knew they were situated on the Ring of Fire, so they prepared for the expected: an earthquake. In fact, many seismology experts consider Japan to be a model for earthquake preparedness. But Japan was not ready for the unexpected: a tsunami. The Japanese relied on sea walls that were too short, and even built nuclear power plants in the tidal wave's path, according to an article from the March 14 edition of The New York Times. There is, however, a certain arrogance in looking backwards. Six days later and 10,000 miles away, I am in no position to say whether Japan was prepared.

But what I can say is that here in Missouri, we also are prepared for the expected. We know we're in Tornado Alley and we know that it floods here nearly every spring. For that reason, we have storm shelters and sand bags at the ready. But we are grossly underprepared for the unexpected: another earthquake. Our roads, buildings, homes, and infrastructure — like water supply — are in grave danger of destruction, should that earthquake hit.

There is no "silver lining" to natural disasters like the one we are watching unfold in Japan — the situation is grave, and it might continue to get worse. Still, as people living on or near a major fault, we have the opportunity to learn from this disaster and make sure that something similar doesn't happen again — at least not in our own backyard. As college students — some of whom might have career plans in engineering, community planning or politics — we have an even greater responsibility to take preventative action.

This is not meant to be a doomsday prediction or a scare tactic. It's meant to be a word of caution. Whether we're ready for it or not, another earthquake is on its way. Science isn't sure how long we have. It could be 5, 50 or even 500 years from now. But no matter how far away it might be, we need to be prepared — and in light of just how devastating the unexpected can be, we need to start preparing now.

Zach Vicars is a junior philosophy/religion and linguistics major from St. Charles, Mo.