New U.S. Geological Survey research finds almost half of Americans are exposed to potentially damaging earthquakes, nearly doubling the 2006 estimate of 75 million people. The Midwest is one of the areas that could see additional harm, according to the report.
Mark Petersen is chief of the USGS National Seismic Hazard Modeling Project. He said population growth and findings of new geological features are major causes of the increase in exposure to earthquake risks.
“Since the 1996 maps were released, we’ve had a 17 percent increase in the United States in population, and many of those people have moved to places of higher hazard,” he said.
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Petersen said Wisconsin doesn’t have a high potential for earthquakes, but the area along the border with Illinois can experience some moderate shaking where the intensity is slightly higher. Residents may also feel quakes from the New Madrid Seismic Zone.
Petersen said the ground shaking intensity levels should be used when designing buildings for safety reasons.
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