The US Geological Survey invites your association’s members to see the newest earthquake hazard maps for the Evansville, Ind.-Henderson, Ky. region.

The Evansville Area Earthquake Hazards Mapping Project is almost finished.  The goal of this project is to map earthquake hazards in the Evansville and Henderson areas. 

Please join us on Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at 1:00 pm in the Browning Room of the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library (200 SE Martin Luther King; Evansville).  The scientists who made these earthquake-hazards maps will be available to show you their final products.  There will be plenty of time to see the maps and to have your questions answered.  This event is free and open to the public.

These maps are also free and will soon be available to community leaders and the public.  They include estimates of earthquake intensities as well as the potential for liquefaction.  This new information can be used to help decision-makers manage business operations, emergency planning, and many other community and economic issues.  This is important because the entire region has earthquake risk from both the New Madrid and the Wabash Valley fault zones.

Similar maps are now in progress or completed for Memphis, Tenn.; St. Louis, Mo; Seattle, Wash.; and Los Angeles, Calif.  Eventually, all of these maps for each metro area – including Evansville – will be available on-line.

The Evansville Area Earthquake Hazards Mapping Project is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program.  The Southwest Indiana Disaster Resistant Community Corporation; Purdue University; and the state geologic surveys of Indiana and Kentucky are project leaders.  The Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium and CUSEC State Geologists are also involved.

There is no cost for the program.  However, registration is requested to best accommodate those who attend.  Please contact Christine Martin at drc@swidrcc.org or 812-425-8401 to register.

If you have any questions, please call or email Oliver Boyd, Project Manager for the Evansville Area Earthquake Hazards Mapping Project, at 901-678-3463 or olboyd@usgs.gov .