Southeast Missouri / Lead Belt / Mississippi Corridor
Cape Girardeau County sits in the New Madrid Seismic Zone
Cape Girardeau County is within the New Madrid Seismic Zone, an active earthquake area. State agencies offer preparedness guidance, and earthquake insurance is worth asking about.
Cape Girardeau County sits in the New Madrid Seismic Zone. This is the most active earthquake area in the country east of the Rocky Mountains, according to the Missouri Geological Survey. It runs through southeast Missouri and four nearby states. The zone is best known for three large earthquakes in 1811 and 1812.
Hundreds of small quakes still happen here each year. Most are too weak to feel. State and federal agencies treat the zone as an ongoing hazard, so it is worth planning ahead.
A few simple steps help. Read the earthquake guidance from Missouri’s State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA). Ask your insurance agent whether your policy covers earthquake damage, since standard home policies often do not. And if you build or remodel, ask the county and your contractor about local building rules.
References
Where this fits: this note belongs to Cape Girardeau County. See every local note for the county on its page.