A small earthquake has taken place directly on the New Madrid Seismic Fault; the most active fault east of the Rocky Mountains. The quake was centered 5.6 miles north of New Madrid, MO at a (shallow) depth of 9.5 miles. Whether this is a fore-shock of a coming larger quake, is tough to tell. But folks in the Geological profession know that the New Madrid Fault has, in the distant past, caused horrific earthquakes that killed many people. In one quake, the ground shifted to much, it actually caused sections of the Mississippi River to run backwards for hours! If such a quake struck today, with all the development which has taken place, the toll would be staggering. The New Madrid seismic zone of southeast Missouri and adjacent States is the most seismically active in North America east of the Rockies. During the winter of 1811-1812 three very large earthquakes devastated the area and were felt throughout most of the Nation. They occurred a few weeks apart on December 16, January 23, and