Small Earthquakes Hit Southern Missouri: USGS

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A series of small earthquakes hit near Howardville, located in southeastern Missouri, according to the U.S. Geological Survey in an update on Nov. 3.

A 2.7-magnitude earthquake hit the town of Lilbourn at around 8:40 a.m. local time, the USGS said.

Then, four smaller temblors hit around the area.

According to Fox2, here are the recent quakes in the area:

- 2.0 magnitude, 8:51 a.m., 5 km depth - Lilbourn, Missouri - 2.0 magnitude, 8:47 a.m., 5 km depth - Lilbourn, Missouri - 1.6 magnitude, 8:47 a.m., 4 km depth - Lilbourn, Missouri - 1.8 magnitude, 8:47 a.m., 5 km depth - Lilbourn, Missouri - 2.7 magnitude, 8:40 a.m., 5 km depth - Lilbourn, Missouri

Earlier in 2017, several quakes hit the same area.

The quake hit the so-called New Madrid seismic zone.

A 2009 report by the United States Geological Survey, said that based on the history of past earthquakes in the region, over the next 50 years, there is a 25 to 40 percent chance of an earthquake magnitude six or higher hitting the region; and a 7 to 10 percent chance of a magnitude seven or higher.

According to historical accounts, there was a series of major earthquakes in the New Madrid region in 1811 and 1812.

Most people in the area aren’t aware of the risks, said one expert.

“Although the earthquakes in the Midwest are less frequent, their effects are wider,” Siavash Zamiran, a civil/geotechnical engineer at Marino Engineering Associates in St. Louis, told the Riverfront Times. “There is a lot of probability of another earthquake happening, but not much public awareness of that.”