Megaquake 10.0

[eldirector]

On the History Channel right now. Among others, they are talking about the New Madrid fault. A 7.0 quake is not unlikely there, and looks like it would shake Indy pretty well. Central Illinois down through Arkansas would be pretty screwed. As a mid-westerner, earthquakes kinda freak me out!

The show mentioned that several major natural gas pipelines run across that fault zone, and would be one of the bigger, long-term problems. Maybe that NG generator I'm thinking about isn't the best idea....

 

[redneckmedic]

Why not get a Large Propane tank and just never use it.

 

[dukeboy_318]

ive got a computr program from my geology course i took a couple semsters ago in college that shows the INDY skyline and just how much would be destroyed as the magnitude increases, a 7.0 would cause some major damage, an 8? look for some towers to start coming down. the bedrock that indiana is on would allow the sesmic waves to travel hundreds of miles, theres was 1 on record that caused the mississippi river to flow backwards during it. i forget th eyear but it was in the 1800s,

 

[indykid]

Great, with gasoline becoming unaffordable, pushing the price of food up so that I can't afford to drive to the grocery store to buy unaffordable food, with my house worthless, I now have to worry about an earthquake!!!

Next some NASA scientist is going to find an asteroid that is on a collision course with Indianapolis!

Pass the whiskey...

 

[tyler34]

ive got a computr program from my geology course i took a couple semsters ago in college that shows the INDY skyline and just how much would be destroyed as the magnitude increases, a 7.0 would cause some major damage, an 8? look for some towers to start coming down. the bedrock that indiana is on would allow the sesmic waves to travel hundreds of miles, theres was 1 on record that caused the mississippi river to flow backwards during it. i forget th eyear but it was in the 1800s,

that was the earthquake that created reelfoot lake in tennessee, best damn crappie fishing in the U.S. IMO.

 

[Steelworker]

Not trying to jack the thread, but regarding the generators, I would get a diesel powered generator. Even if you had a large propane tank that was hever used for anything except shtf, eventually you are going to run out. If you have a diesel generator, you have more options for fuel. ie: used motor oil, kero, used veg oil. Just my opinon.

 

[Tactical Dave]

On the History Channel right now. Among others, they are talking about the New Madrid fault. A 7.0 quake is not unlikely there, and looks like it would shake Indy pretty well. Central Illinois down through Arkansas would be pretty screwed. As a mid-westerner, earthquakes kinda freak me out!

The show mentioned that several major natural gas pipelines run across that fault zone, and would be one of the bigger, long-term problems. Maybe that NG generator I'm thinking about isn't the best idea....

Last I heard from FEMA directly if it let loose Ft. Wayne would be base operations...... everything south would be in serious trouble/rubble.... If I remember right they expect Chicago to have issues.

Since then Purdue I think it was has done some studying on that fault and if I rememebr right said it is now less likley to go.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

If there's another "big one" from the New Madrid and/or associated fault systems...

Bad juju. NO amount of preps will spare you. You will have troubles. You'll have BIG troubles. But probably just not as bad as many others.

Think you'll just drive to your "bug out location"? HAH! Good one. How will you cross all the damaged bridges?

While there might not be any permanent surface displacement here in the Indy area, the temporary movement will probably rupture every. single. underground utility. And probably damage most all of the above ground "rigid" utility transfer stuff. If there's enough slack in some of the power lines, they might survive.

Think it was bad in Haiti after last year's EQ? Small taters.


-J-

 

[eldirector]

Not trying to jack the thread, but regarding the generators, I would get a diesel powered generator. Even if you had a large propane tank that was hever used for anything except shtf, eventually you are going to run out. If you have a diesel generator, you have more options for fuel. ie: used motor oil, kero, used veg oil. Just my opinon.

I'll jack my own thread a bit, too!

I first thought about NG, simply because I can plumb it into the house's line. We have NEVER lost gas, so for many minor emergencies (blizzard, minor blackouts, etc...) it would do well. I've been worried about extended power outages, because the NG pumping station may eventually go dark (though they can power their own generators from the NG as well). A dual NG/propane genset with a backup propane tank would do better. You are right, though. Diesel would let me resupply much easier.

Back on the quake: What little I remember about the New Madrid fault is that the last major quake in the 1800's may have released a LOT of the stress. It should be much less likely to throw off a major quake for quite a while (like hundreds of years). The last large quakes were around 1400 AD and 900 AD. Of course, New Madrid is also responsible for the highest magnitude quakes ever recorded in North America.

 

[James]

An excercise was done recently by DHS concerning this expected earthquake. Communications was going to be the biggest challenge for first responders, since most towers would be down. Getting everything coordinated is going to be a nightmare, so don't expect help to pull up and save the day any time soon. Roads and bridges would be destroyed as mentioned so don't plan to drive very far. Gas stations storage tanks underground may be inoperable so fuel would be an issue anyhow. All underground utilities would be destroyed, so don't take a **** in your toilet because it won't flush.

At the end of the training they even got up and said the thing you could do to prepare the most was to have food and water (and everything else you will need) cached for you and your family.

And the biggest problem is most people consider themselves victims. People need to get out of that mindset and consider themselves survivors, be able to take care of yourself.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Back on the quake: What little I remember about the New Madrid fault is that the last major quake in the 1800's may have released a LOT of the stress. It should be much less likely to throw off a major quake for quite a while (like hundreds of years). The last large quakes were around 1400 AD and 900 AD. Of course, New Madrid is also responsible for the highest magnitude quakes ever recorded in North America.

If you look at the USGS' EQ map for the region, you'll quickly see that it is a rather seismically active region. And that is a GOOD thing.

Several smaller "unfeelable" shakes a week are mo' betta' than one tremendously larger EQ every few hundred years (or more).

-J-

 

[swatdoc]

An excercise was done recently by DHS concerning this expected earthquake. Communications was going to be the biggest challenge for first responders, since most towers would be down. Getting everything coordinated is going to be a nightmare, so don't expect help to pull up and save the day any time soon. Roads and bridges would be destroyed as mentioned so don't plan to drive very far. Gas stations storage tanks underground may be inoperable so fuel would be an issue anyhow. All underground utilities would be destroyed, so don't take a **** in your toilet because it won't flush.

At the end of the training they even got up and said the thing you could do to prepare the most was to have food and water (and everything else you will need) cached for you and your family.

And the biggest problem is most people consider themselves victims. People need to get out of that mindset and consider themselves survivors, be able to take care of yourself.

You've made a number of good points to consider. I'll expound on one. And that just has to do with sanitation. It's an often neglected part of planning. I was always amazed when I picked up a Special Forces Medical Handbook and one of the first things it talked about was how and where to dig the latrines! The last thing you need is what's happening down in Haiti right now--a cholera outbreak.

 

[James]

You've made a number of good points to consider. I'll expound on one. And that just has to do with sanitation. It's an often neglected part of planning. I was always amazed when I picked up a Special Forces Medical Handbook and one of the first things it talked about was how and where to dig the latrines! The last thing you need is what's happening down in Haiti right now--a cholera outbreak.

Yeah the toilet thing really bothers me. I know when I need to drop a deuce I am going to walk a good .25 mile, down wind and down hill from my house. But I don't think my less prepared neighbors have considered this and I got a feeling they will start getting sick after living in a house filled with **** for a couple of weeks. Then sickness spreads to my family. My advice falls on deaf ears.

 

[eldirector]

I assume wells and septic systems would still be functional after a quake? Depends on location, I know. I wonder how much the water table would change in central Indiana after a New Madrid quake?

Goes back to my genset: the main purpose is running the well pump.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

The problem with speculating about the damage caused by a New Madrid earthquake is that it depends upon a number of factors such as: location of the epicenter on the fault, depth of the epicenter, magnitude of the quake, etc. If the quake was centered on New Madrid - or further north - and stong enough, there would probably not be an intact bridge or highway from Indianapolis on south. Based on the nature of earthquakes (little/no warning; unknown magnitude) it might take the Federal government a week or more to get resources into affected areas. And don't forget, if there is a major earthquake along the New Madrid fault, Indiana won't be the only state affected - and may not even be the state MOST affected by the quake.

Depending upon infrastructure damage in Marion County, the state's Urban Search & Rescue Task Force might not be able to deploy for days, if at all. At one time, Indiana was a member of a mutual aid consortium of central states (don't remember the name at present) but I'll bet that consortium has been defunct since the late 90s (judging how long it took to arrange for the State Guard units to deploy to help during Hurricane Katrina). This is one disaster where folks will probably be on their own for extended periods of time, measured in weeks.

 

[Tactical Dave]

Think it was bad in Haiti after last year's EQ? Small taters.

It was bad because the buildings were not designed to take and kind of real quake.

On your other points the greatest prepis your brain.....

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

It was bad because the buildings were not designed to take and kind of real quake.

On your other points the greatest prepis your brain.....

And you think anything in IN is designed to handle a big EQ?

It hasn't been that long that the Fed. design requirements for bridges of certain spans be upgraded to be "EQ-proof". And bridges built since that req. was enacted is a MINISCULE number compared to the total number of bridges in the delineated danger zones.

I'm sure that there are more recent construction req's for structures, too. And I'm sure that there are different req's for different height structures.

But, just like bridges, the number of structures that have been built to the new req's pale in comparison to all the buildings that were built prior.

The physical damage caused by a large EQ from the New Madrid region will be unlike anything that's ever happened before.

One of the good things that worked in Haiti's favor, if you want to call it that, is that the relatively small area affected.

-J-

 

[Tactical Dave]

And you think anything in IN is designed to handle a big EQ?

It hasn't been that long that the Fed. design requirements for bridges of certain spans be upgraded to be "EQ-proof". And bridges built since that req. was enacted is a MINISCULE number compared to the total number of bridges in the delineated danger zones.

I'm sure that there are more recent construction req's for structures, too. And I'm sure that there are different req's for different height structures.

But, just like bridges, the number of structures that have been built to the new req's pale in comparison to all the buildings that were built prior.

The physical damage caused by a large EQ from the New Madrid region will be unlike anything that's ever happened before.

One of the good things that worked in Haiti's favor, if you want to call it that, is that the relatively small area affected.

-J-

We use things like re-bar haha, they did not.

 

[ghitch75]

I assume wells and septic systems would still be functional after a quake? Depends on location, I know. I wonder how much the water table would change in central Indiana after a New Madrid quake?

Goes back to my genset: the main purpose is running the well pump.

i would say my well wouldn't make it in that bad of a quake....168ft through a lot of rock......my neighbor has a nice 2 acre pond that is 28ft deep if it makes i'll have water.....as far septic goes i have a backhoe for a out house.....gen i my book would be a Lister Diesel......i'll be gettin; 1 in the summer.........they will run for up to 100,000 hours before rebuild and run on about anything oil wise....

Lister Type 13,500 Watt Diesel Generator with Electric Start

 

[Steelworker]

Not sure if those lister types are still importable. I'm pretty that they were banned from importation by the good ole EPA. Do plenty of research on those before you buy, IF they are available, as quality varies wildly. Utterpower.com is a good resource for info.