40 New Madrid Quakes in Missouri in May Plus 1 in a Strange Place

There was an uptick in earthquakes in Missouri along the New Madrid Fault in May of 2023, but nothing truly unusual except for one that happened in an unusual place according to the USGS.

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As we approach the end of May 2023, I decided to check the USGS earthquake site and see how many measurable quakes have been registered over the last 30 days. According to their data, there were 40 centered around the bootheel of Missouri which is typical.

The one quake in an unusual quake happened on May 13, 2023 just east of Lebanon, Missouri registering a 2.8.

If you only look at the quakes that were reported felt by residents in Missouri, this list is bigger than a typical month.

Earthquake activity in May so far in Missouri hasn't been anything to truly be concerned about. Other than the one near Lebanon in the middle of the month, it was another shaky 30 days along one of the most seismically-active fault zones in America.

It's worth revisiting a recent study by the USGS that estimates the damage a major quake on the New Madrid Fault would do is likely DOUBLE what was believed previously. The experts now estimate that damage would be approximately $107.8 trillion dollars.

How does May activity compare to past measurements along the New Madrid Fault?

The USGS reports that there have been more than 3,500 quakes along the New Madrid Fault in the past decade. That makes the 40 over the past 30 days not look too crazy.

If you are interested in New Madrid quakes, you can check out the daily USGS shake map for yourself.