It holds more power than an atomic bomb, yet it rattles little more than a tea cup these days. You'll learn while some admit to praying every night, they don't plan on budging from the edge of potential disaster.
Anchored to the Mighty Mississippi, this town often mimics the river's way of life: quiet, lazy, but not without a fault.
Tucked mostly unnoticed, and thousands of feet below the southeast Missouri town, is one of the country's most destructive forces.
"It's basically a fault line from St. Louis to Memphis," says Bob Hedgepeth.
The New Madrid Historical Museum holds the best historical account of the quakes that rattled the country's midsection in 1811 and 1812..
"The river flowed backwards," says Julia York.
"It rang church bells in Boston and shook homes in New Orleans," adds Virginia Carlson.
Witness accounts described four violent eruptions that changed the landscape. Each one topped 7 on the Richter Scale -- nearly as powerful as those that rocked Japan.
No one knows when it might shake again. (read more)
Anchored to the Mighty Mississippi, this town often mimics the river's way of life: quiet, lazy, but not without a fault.
