Customer Reviews

The Next New Madrid Earthquake: A Survival Guide for the Midwest (Shawnee Books)

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3 star:		(1)
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The dangerous propensities of the midcontinental earthquake zone known by the name of the New Madrid fault system are part and parcel of life in the area where the Ohio River joins the Mississippi river system. In 1811 and 1812, a bone-shattering series of earthquakes took place here, three of which are estimated at over 8.3 on the Richter scale, devastating this region, creating new lakes, making the Mississippi run backwards for a time, raising hills, and changing river courses. If such a series of events took place today, the consequences would be almost unimaginable.

Atkinson's book explores these matters with a studied eye, an easily understoood writing style, and contains many excellent diagrams forecasting where future quake damage will occur, and in what amount. It also contains a shocking series of narratives about how little has been done to prepare for the next emergency. Make no mistake, the New Madrid earthquakes of the early nineteenth century are not the last seismic events in this region.

This book should be required reading for every local and state government official in this region and, especially for every civil defense person. While no one knows when the next giant eathquake will occur, and it may be some hundreds of years away, the magnitude of the potential disaster dictates readiness now. Examples would include strict rules regarding construction of building highways, bridges, pipelines, levees, sewage and water systems and the like. This book points out clearly what should be done.

I recommend the book highly.

This book does an excellent job of describing the recent history of the New Madrid fault, and the impact of recorded earthquakes in that area.

The book also serves as an effective planning guide for government agencies, businesses, and indiviuals. Proper preparation is critical if this now highly developed region is to survive another earthquake or series of earthquakes such as those that occured in 1811-12.

From a person who lives in New Madrid, this book is very helpful. It lists all the things, you need to know. Strategies for your survival, stuff for an emergency case; food, water, toliet paper.

If you have never heard of or are interested in the great earthquakes in the USA Midwest in 1811-1812, then I highly recommend you buy this book. This book is very well researched and has an excellent writing style. You will be amazed at the facts in this book. As William Atkinson says, these series of earthquakes were felt from the Rocky Mountains to the East coast (an area as big as Europe) and even rang church bells in Boston. The USGS website states they were in the 7.5-7.7 range, but the book's author suggests more like several 8+. If the area was as highly populated and strategic then as now, the disaster would rank high on the list of the world's greatest. The few settlers who experienced the worst thought it was literally the end of the world. It was reported that settlers south of New Madrid abandoned their homes and started walking zombie like to New Madrid, only to find that New Madrid was totally destroyed. Even squirrels were reported to have marched in military type phalanxes into rivers committing mass suicide. Rivers flowed backwards apparently because huge fissures opened in river beds swallowing so much water so as to move water "up stream." I still have a couple of copies of this book I bought in 1990 at the Southern Illinois University (they have the copyright.) I have always been interested in earthquakes. When I learned that I live in this fault zone, I became fascinated. I learned that the USA Midwest was home to an earthquake zone that had a series of earthquakes in 1811-1812 equal in severity and frequency as the more famous earthquakes in the Asian ring of fire, Japan, China, and the Middle East. Unlike the Pacific Rim subduction trenches (where an ocean plate dives underneath a land mass plate) the New Madrid has plates or land masses side to side that release energy by rubbing against each other rather than one plate sliding over the other. If you live in this area of the USA, you should read this book and think about and prepare for a sizable earthquake in order to be on the safe side. New Madrid earthquakes are felt and cause damage over a much wider area than their subduction trench cousins.

The book contains plenty of factual and historical data on the New Madrid fault as well as information on other earthquakes throughout recorded history in other parts of the world. It also has some relevant, valuable data on how it will affect the areas and people involved should there be a major earthquake. This book is a must read.

I'm glad I read this book before I read "8.4" by Peter Hernon. It made 8.4 come alive and made it a fun read, if by fun read, you mean that the story gives you the *screamin' willies*.

Very well researched book on the New Madrid fault line. Chronicles many of the major earthquakes including the 1811-1812 quakes that rerouted the Missippi. Interesting graphs and charts. Nice comparision to other major earthquakes. Good information especially if you are teaching geology in the midwest.

I thought the first part of this book was fascinating. I thought it probably gave a pretty accurate picture of what the damage was likely to be, and how the damage would occur. I was looking forward to reading about the probable psychological responses to a catastrophe like this. Once I got there, I found myself nodding my head, remembering Katrina. What gave me pause was when the author cited several quotes by a Dennis Mileti. Mileti claims that looting is almost non-existent in catastrophes. "Sociologists, in fact, have tried to interview arrested looters after over one hundred disasters, according to Mileti, but they can never find any." I then looked at the date of publication of this book - 1989. Even so, to say that looting has almost never occurred during disasters is very hard to believe.

It's not my THINGS that I care about, it's the psychological unease of bands of criminals roaming the area. I felt that should have been researched and written about a little better.