Earthquakes can’t happen in the Upper Midwest. Or can they? A UW-Superior geology student has research that says at least part of Wisconsin could be heavily damaged by tremors. Mike Simonson reports.

The seismic zone center is in Missouri…it’s called the “New Madrid Fault” (pronounced MAH'-drid, unlike the Spanish city) and it causes minor tremors fairly often…but major eruptions are only expected once every 500 years or so. UW-Superior student Mathew Goodman says the last time the New Madrid Fault caused a major earthquake was in 1811 and 1812. "The scientists are beginning to look at and wonder when and if this is going to happen again. So that's what I modeled in my research.” Goodman says there’s a 7%-10% chance that New Madrid fault may cause a major earthquake in the next 50 years. He says the worst damage would be felt in southern Wisconsin in Milwaukee and Racine. "Steering of motor vehicles would be affected. Twisting, falling of chimneys, factory stacks and monuments, elevated tanks, frame houses could be moved off their foundations if not bolted down securely, house panel walls thrown out if it was as severe as a level 8.” If so, Goodman calculates that two hospitals, four dams, 135 miles of interstate and 322 miles of railroad tracks would be damaged by the New Madrid quake. A total of one and a half million people in Wisconsin would be in the earthquake's path. Green Bay and Appleton would probably feel the tremor but it would be minor. People in Ashland or Superior wouldn’t feel a thing.

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