Iben Browning's New Madrid Panic

In 1990, a man named Iben Browning, who had no formal seismology training, publicly predicted that a massive earthquake would strike the New Madrid, Missouri, area on December 3 of that year. His claim triggered widespread anxiety across the central United States, as residents feared a repeat of the historic New Madrid quakes of the early 1800s. Schools in at least five states closed as a precaution, and more than 200 media outlets sent reporters to the region to cover the expected disaster. The day passed without any significant seismic activity.

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