By Michael, on January 19th, 2010 
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti is being called the worst natural disaster in at least a decade. In fact, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is already calling it a worse disaster than the Asian tsunami of several years ago that killed so many thousands upon thousands of people. Authorities are desperately trying to get aid to the survivors in Haiti but they are being severely hampered by the chaos ravaging that nation in the aftermath of the earthquake. Looting is rampant, people are burning piles of dead bodies, the sound of gunfire is everywhere and gangs of machete-wielding young men are roaming the streets.
So can what is happening in Haiti happen in the United States?
Of course it can.
Or did you forget about Hurricane Katrina?
The truth is that most areas in the United States are only about 9 meals away from anarchy.
When people get desperate they will do just about anything for survival. We like to think of ourselves as so “advanced” and so “civilized”, but the truth is that an emergency situation can turn most people into wild animals very quickly.
So what are the odds of a massive earthquake like the one that devastated Haiti hitting the U.S. any time soon?
Unfortunately the odds are not in our favor.
We live at a time when earthquakes are increasing in frequency and in intensity all over the globe.
In fact, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook the ocean floor between South America and Antarctica on Sunday.
Fortunately it was not close enough to any populated areas to do significant damage, but the next time we might not be so lucky.
The truth is that there are several areas of the United States where scientists are expecting massive earthquakes to strike.
For instance, U.S. scientists are predicting a Haiti-magnitude earthquake along the New Madrid fault in the U.S. some time during the next 50 years.
If you do not know where the New Madrid fault line is, just Google it.
Wikipedia describes the New Madrid fault as being “a major seismic zone and a prolific source of intraplate earthquakes (earthquakes within a tectonic plate) in the Southern and Midwestern United States stretching to the southwest from New Madrid, Missouri.”
In other words, a massive earthquake along the New Madrid fault line could devastate an area stretching from Chicago to St. Louis to Memphis all the way down to the mouth of the Mississippi.
In fact, a large number of people have had “dreams” and “visions” that just such an earthquake will actually create a huge new body of water in that area. Some of them have predicted that the earthquake will be so massive that it will actually cause the Mississippi River to run backwards.
In 1811, an earthquake along the New Madrid fault was so powerful that it “shook windows and furniture in Washington, D.C., rang bells in Richmond, Virginia, sloshed well water and shook houses in Charleston, South Carolina, and knocked plaster off of houses in Columbia, South Carolina.”
Another giant earthquake along the fault system in 1812 was so intense that it was felt all the way in New York City and Boston.
So yes, it can happen in the United States. In fact, scientists are expecting it to happen at some point in the next 50 years.
But of course when one thinks of earthquakes in the United States, one usually thinks of California first.
In fact, a flurry of recent earthquake activity all over the state of California is raising concerns that California could be the next spot to be hit by the “Big One”.
A very large number of small earthquakes have been reported all over the state of California in the last 7 days.
Is this an indication that we could see something happen there soon?
Let’s hope not.
The truth is that when the “Big One” does hit California, it may do a whole lot more than knock a few buildings down.
While a 7.0 earthquake would not do as much damage in most areas of California as it did in Haiti, the truth is that California is likely to see a much more powerful earthquake someday.
For decades there have been those who say that they have had “dreams” and “visions” about an earthquake that is so bad that it will actually cause a portion of California to slide into the ocean.
Seriously.
There are even people who have drawn up maps showing what California will look like after this happens.
But there are more than just a few dreamers who are convinced that this will happen to California someday. The belief that “The Big One” will one day hit California is so prevalent that even Time Magazine has done a major story about it.
In fact, there seems to be a general consensus in the scientific community that the Big One is coming to California and that everybody needs to start preparing for it.
The Los Angeles Times recently reported on the “Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast” which was released in 2007. This report stated that California has a 99.7% chance of a 6.7 magnitude earthquake within 30 years.
A 99.7 percent chance?
How much more of a sure thing do you want?
If the scientists and the “visionaries” are right, massive earthquakes and significant geological changes are coming to the United States during our lifetimes.
In fact, what is coming to the United States might just make what is going on in Haiti look like a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park.
Are you ready?
