Shake, Rattle and Roll

The strongest earthquake activity in U.S. history began 198 years ago today, originating in northeast Arkansas but moderately felt in the million square miles surrounding the epicenter. The ensuing quakes reportedly caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards for two days.

The series of earthquakes now called the New Madrid Earthquake has special significance to me because it supposedly created Caddo Lake, the largest natural lake in Texas. Caddo Lake also extends into Louisiana, a few miles from where I grew up. This wonderfully mysterious lake is the backdrop for my first novel Ghost of a Chance.

Legend has it that a group of Caddo Indians had a large village at what is now the Big Lake part of the Louisiana side of Caddo Lake. The Chief of the tribe had a vision and woke his people in the middle of the night. They broke down the village that night and moved to a new location told to the Chief in his vision.

The first of a series of intense earthquakes began shortly after the Chief evacuated his people from the village. The quakes quickly opened a large rift that soon filled with water from nearby Red River.

The United States Geological Survey continues to monitor seismic activity along the New Madrid Fault Zone. The tectonic system is still active, the U.S.G.S. reporting three earthquakes right here in Oklahoma in the past five days, one with a magnitude of 3.4.

Louisiana Mystery Writer