Editorial

Small earthquake is a big reminder

Residents of Southeast Missouri live matter-of-factly with the possibility of tornadoes and earthquakes. There isn't anything you can do to prevent them. You can only take precautions and be prepared.

But most of us rarely give such potential disasters much thought, unless the sky is filled with dark clouds turning that ominous green color.

And you can listen for broadcast warnings of severe weather. But how can you know if an earthquake is coming?

While many folks in this area know about the New Madrid Fault and scientific forecasts that another Big One is coming, the fact is we live in an area riddled with seismic faults.

One of them shifted last week, shaking things up enough to wake early-morning sleepers and knock a few things around in some homes.

Centered near Leopold and Glennon, Mo., in Bollinger County, the quake was felt from Fruitland, Mo., to Blytheville, Ark.

It was just another reminder -- this one a mite more physical -- that the earth's crust is constantly shifting.

Comments