Seismic ShakeOut: Possible earthquake impact discussed

Bourbon County Emergency Manager Keith Jeffers leads a tabletop discussion Thursday morning as part of the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut. Those attending reviewed damage possibilities and how emergency management should respond if an earthquake should occur along the New Madrid Seismic Zone. (Michael Pommier/Tribune)

Bourbon County Emergency Manager Keith Jeffers hosted a tabletop discussion Thursday as part of the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut.

Jeffers, along with Bourbon County Sheriff Ron Gray, Bourbon County Public Health Nurse Alice Maffett and representatives from rural fire departments and other agencies, met for three hours to discuss the possible effects Fort Scott would feel if an earthquake were to occur along the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which covers parts of eight states including Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas.

During the discussion, Jeffers presented a possible scenario and discussed how the Bourbon County area might be impacted and how emergency management teams should respond. Jeffers said the last earthquake along the New Madrid Seismic Zone occurred in 1811 and records of the effects on Kansas are limited. He said the best idea he has is that if a 7.5 magnitude earthquake were to occur, the Bourbon County area would feel the effects at a magnitude of six or less.

He added that much of the discussion was about how local buildings would be affected. Jeffers said that it is expected that nearly all of the historic buildings would suffer some kind of damage, if not completely collapse, due to their age and the fact that they were not built to sustain such an event.

More than 3 million residents across eight states participated in the Great Central U.S. ShakeOut.