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A video transcript of USGS Director Chip Groat's Response
Could an earthquake strike New York City, as suggested by a recent TV mini-series? Yes, it could. In fact, in 1884, an earthquake did strike New York City, causing damage there and in the surrounding areas. In 1755, an earthquake struck Boston. In 1886, a serious earthquake struck Charleston, South Carolina, causing damage and costing 60 lives.
Three of the largest earthquakes ever to strike the United States occurred in New Madrid in Missouri, in 1811 and 1812. So, earthquakes do occur in the Eastern United States -- although much less frequently than in the West, in Alaska, and some of the cities in the mountain West.
We have to deal with natural disasters of several kinds in the United States, including floods, landslides, and hurricanes. These are being studied by the U.S. Geological Survey so that we understand how these normal Earth processes manifest themselves and how we can use this information, along with other Federal and State agencies, to make our communities safer. So as we work with FEMA, and NOAA -- the National Weather Service -- we are trying to improve our ability to deal with natural hazards.