Tennessee Emergency Management Agency
James Bassham, Director

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Emergency Preparedness for Earthquakes
By now everyone in the state is familiar with the New Madrid Earthquake zone and the potential it has for creating a major catastrophe, not only for Tennessee but also for much of the country. In addition, there is an unnamed and largely un-described earthquake zone the roughly parallels Interstate 75 from Chattanooga to near Knoxville. Therefore, earthquakes are no longer only a concern for citizens in the western portions of the state. A major earthquake represents what would potentially be the largest natural disaster ever to occur in the state of Tennessee. Some estimates suggest that a major earthquake in the New Madrid zone would be a nationwide catastrophic event, largely due to the interruption in transportation, communications, fuel supply, and other economic consequences that would be experienced as a result of damage to the infrastructure.

You can get an idea of how much more devastating a Central U. S. earthquake could be to the county by comparing the extent of damages from a 6.7 event in Northridge, to the extent of damage in 1895 from a 6.8 earthquake. This graphic shows that an earthquake similar to the 6.7 Northridge event occurring in the Central U. S. would cause major damages across a much wider area. Earthquake Frequently Asked Questions