On November 7th, 1882, reporters at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver were working on their election night articles when the ground began to violently shake. A 6.6 magnitude earthquake had struck, becoming the largest known in Colorado’s history. Today, it’s safe to assume that a majority of people don’t even realize that Colorado has earthquakes, despite the state containing around 100 possibly active fault lines.
Believe it or not, Colorado sees, on average, around 50-70 earthquakes a year, though few are even noticeable by a normal individual. Earthquake record keeping for the state began only around 130 years ago, making the prediction of an earthquake similar to the 1882 incident rather difficult. The Colorado Geological Survey, however, is attempting to gather an understanding of the risks with the help of nine seismometers across the state. A 3.2 magnitude earthquake hit near Ridgeway, Colorado, on Sunday, November 6th, just barely strong enough for those near the epicenter to feel.
“You can feel about a magnitude 2.5, so they probably just felt a little bit of trembling.” – Director of the Colorado Geological Survey Matt Morgan, to CBS Colorado
Based on their research, a magnitude 6.6 earthquake doesn’t seem likely, but it’s certainly possible. According to CBS News Colorado, an earthquake similar to 1882’s could easily cost Colorado up to $30 billion is repairs. For reference, San Francisco, California, experienced a earthquake resulting in $7 billion in damages, 62 deaths, and 3000 injured individuals. That earthquake registered as a 6.9 on the Richter Scale.
Image Credit: CBS Colorado via YouTube
