How does one commemorate the anniversary of one of the largest earthquakes in United States history? If you're the earthquake fault in southern Missouri, you celebrate by causing a tremor exactly 213 years to the day which is what just happened.

We can laugh about this because it was so small no one even reported feeling it. But, the USGS has confirmed that on January 23, 2025, a magnitude 1.9 quake was recorded just east of New Madrid, Missouri. That, in an of itself, would not even make the news if it were not for the day it happened.

January 23 is an important day in Missouri earthquake history. As Wikipedia mentions, it was around 9:15am on January 23, 1812 when the New Madrid Fault unleashed a quake so large it is believed to have been as big as magnitude 8 as it caused "general ground warping, ejections, fissuring, severe landslides, and caving of stream banks". There was no USGS equipment back in those days to accurately measure quakes, so they can only estimate based on damage. I think the most precise estimate I've seen from the USGS is a 7.3 on that cold Missouri morning.

Many don't realize that the historic New Madrid, Missouri earthquakes comprised 8 different major quakes

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From December 16, 1811 through early February of 1812, there were no less than 8 major New Madrid earthquakes that have been documented by the USGS.

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Can you imagine what would happen if quakes of this size were to strike Missouri now that the state is much more heavily-populated? I shudder at the thought. Thankfully, the quake like the one that just happened on the 213th anniversary of one of those historic Missouri quakes are the norm. I'll take magnitude 1 or 2 tiny shakes any day instead of life-changing events like those that happened in the early 1800's.

10 Things to Expect if the New Madrid Fault Unleashes the Big One

Gallery Credit: Canva