Would Busch Stadium Collapse in a Major Missouri Quake?

Here's a scenario that sounds like it's straight from a made-for-TV disaster movie. Would Busch Stadium in St. Louis be able to withstand a catastrophic Missouri earthquake? This is a scenario that experts have looked at and the possibilities are troubling.

Did you know that Missouri authorities simulated a major earthquake in Busch Stadium as recent as last summer?

The Alton Telegraph reported that 500 military and first-responders simulated a search and rescue response in the event of a major New Madrid Fault earthquake including Busch Stadium 3 days last July. The new Busch Stadium which was completed in 2006 was built using the latest Missouri building codes, but it's still not immune to damage if Missouri were to experience a worst-case scenario earthquake. Here's what I've learned is possible:

A severe earthquake could potentially compromise Busch Stadium's structural integrity

How much damage (if any) would be done to Busch Stadium would obviously depend on the magnitude of the earthquake. At the very least, the stadium would need to be inspected after the fact to determine if it had issues, but it is believed that "a severe earthquake could potentially compromise its structural integrity". A major magnitude 6 quake would likely only cause minor cosmetic damage. If the New Madrid were to unleash a quake along the lines of the 1811-1812 events, collapse of some elements in the stadium could not be ruled out.

Significant casualties and injuries among attendees and staff if a major earthquake were to occur during a game

This was one of the possibilities explored by the 3-day exercise by National Guard and first responders last year. There is a fear that emergency personnel would be overwhelmed if a major quake happened during a live event in Busch Stadium. Even if a major quake did not cause partial or complete collapse of Busch Stadium, it could be weeks or months before it could be used again until inspections and repairs could be completed.

There's something else to consider that most people don't talk about

The New Madrid Fault isn't the only potential seismically-active area to worry about. The Wabash Valley Seismic Zone is only 136 miles away from the St. Louis region. It is also capable of a magnitude 7 or greater earthquake.

The good news is that Busch Stadium is still a relatively new facility being only 19 years old as of this writing. It was designed to withstand a certain level of earthquake. There just are not many ways to prepare a structure for a magnitude 7 or higher earthquake. The other aspect to consider is experts at the USGS estimate there's only a 7 to 10% chance of a magnitude 7 or greater New Madrid quake happening in our lifetime.