That Missouri Rift Alert Video? Totally Debunked

Oh, internet. What shall we do with you? There's a new video claiming that the USGS has issued a red alert about a massive rift just found under the Missouri River which could mean earthquake danger. The only problem? There's zero proof it's true.

To be fair to the YouTube channel Discoverable, I'll share their video so you can see what they're claiming before I begin my rant. As of the date of this writing, they have thousands of subscribers which means this video will be seen and likely shared by many people which is a problem.

There are so many problems with this the least of which is Tucker Carlson does not appear in the video even though he's in the thumbnail. Bet he'll love hearing about that. The bigger issue is there is no evidence that the USGS has discovered a "massive rift" under the Missouri River. I can definitely verify there has been no "red alert" issued either. I happen to have direct contacts at the USGS who have been kind enough to provide information to me in the past and I've reached out to them about this new claim and will add their comments once I hear back.

There are snippets of truth this is likely based on. There is the Reelfoot Rift, but it's a rift zone in the Mississippi River area and not the Missouri River. There's no evidence that it will be the cause of any major earthquake there either. There's also the Midcontinent Rift which (you guessed it) is in the middle of the continent.

Why bother with debunking outrageous videos like this?

You would be surprised how many people will see a video like this and just share it like it's factual news and that's how crazy theories like this get born. If the authors of the video have proof of the USGS issuing a "red alert", send it to me and I'll gladly admit I'm wrong. Since I was born in Show Me State, you need to prove to me what you're saying is true. As for now, I'll gleefully await details of what the USGS has to say about the red alert spoken of above. That should be a classic.