Chapter 5
A Multihazard Perspective for the Central U.S.
Publication: Seismic Hazard Design Issues in the Central United States
Abstract
The central United States has experienced major flooding and periodic catastrophic earthquakes. This chapter explores the effects on central U.S. communities when two Midwest hazards occur near one another. It considers only one to two major effects for each event. The first scenario involves the largest of the historic New Madrid earthquakes and a flood in Shelby County, Tennessee. The second and third scenarios involve major earthquakes and tornados in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The last scenario couples a major earthquake event with the extreme cold that periodically occurs in St. Louis. The usefulness of public education for earthquakes coupled with other hazards may be compromised by the rarity of such events. However, these four scenarios show that despite expected higher levels of damage, preparing for and responding to multiple hazards is fortunately not necessarily beyond the resources of the emergency management and response community.
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References
References
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Blackwell, Brian, “Survivors recall deadly 1949 tornado that struck Cape Girardeau”, Southeast Missourian, May 21, 2009.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Seismic Hazard Design Issues in the Central United States
Pages: 51 - 69
Copyright
© 2014 by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: Jun 11, 2014
ASCE Technical Topics:
- Business management
- Coupling
- Disaster preparedness
- Disaster risk management
- Disasters and hazards
- Earthquakes
- Education
- Emergency management
- Floods
- Geohazards
- Geotechnical engineering
- Natural disasters
- Practice and Profession
- Public administration
- Public health and safety
- Structural engineering
- Structural members
- Structural systems
- Tornadoes
- Water and water resources
Authors
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