Everything Everywhere Daily · Wednesday, September 23, 2026
The 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes were a series of powerful seismic events in the central United States, causing widespread damage and altering the landscape. Scientists continue to study the New Madrid seismic zone due to its unusual intraplate location and the potential for future major earthquakes.
“In the winter of 1811, the American frontier was shaken by a series of earthquakes so powerful that they were felt across much of the continent.”
“The ground split open, forests were flattened, sand erupted from the earth, and the Mississippi River seemed to flow backwards.”
“The New Madrid seismic zone is located in the Midwest and Southern United States, covering territory in northeastern Arkansas, southeastern Missouri, western Kentucky and Tennessee, and southern Illinois.”