s a 50 percent probability of a magnitude 6.5 to 7.5 earthquake in the Ste. Marie area sometime between December 1 and December 5, 1990. Although the prediction attracted the national media's attention, the period passed with no significant seismic activity.
Fictional 2009 Les Cheneaux earthquake exercise Edit
- Main article: 2009 Les Cheneaux earthquake exercise
The University of Michigan, funded by FEMA, conducted a study in January 2009 known as the "2009 Les Cheneaux earthquake" with the goal of accelerating earthquake planning in Michigan and understanding the Les Cheneaux Seismic Zone. The fictional earthquake was an M 8.2, which has a 6% probability of occurring within the next 50 years. The quake would cause upwards of $300 billion of damage in metropolitan Ste. Marie and cause 86,000 casualties and 4,500 fatalities. 515,000 buildings would be damaged or destroyed. 700,000 people would be displaced.
Head of the study, Amr S. Elnashai, ruled that such a scenario would cause a tsunami in Bay Ste. Marie, but due to a natural bluff surrounding the city, only the immediate coast would be flooded. The team evaluated that Ste. Marie's largely defunct and poorly planned infrastructure would be utterly destroyed by such an earthquake. This would affect the shipping industry, transportation, and water distribution throughout the eastern half of the nation.
Earthquake preparedness Edit
- Main article: Earthquake preparedness of Michigan
To prepare for an event of this magnitude, the team suggested that 750 shelters with medical services be prepared to operate for 100 days after the initial shock. 5,000 buses would be needed to transport displaced individuals to habitable locations.
To prevent the catastrophic damage, Ste. Marie building code would need to be updated to demand retrofits for unstable buildings. City infrastructure, such as sewer systems and transportation, would need to be updated to withstand a major earthquake.
Les Cheneaux earthquakes have become increasingly frequent since the 2008 shock. In a December 19th, 2014 statement, the USGS warned that the Mw 3.9 shock on December 13th may be a foreshock to a larger quake that could strike in January 2015. 80% of the city lost power during this relatively weak earthquake.
The poor performance of city infrastructure on December 13th has led to frequent inspections by city agencies to prevent devastation if a major earthquake should strike in 2015. Mid American Energy, the Ste. Marie metropolitan area's main electricity provider, has assured critics that the shock simply caused the backup generators to turn on, causing nearly 30 explosions at substations in the city, and that the problem has been fixed.
Notable people Edit
Sister cities Edit
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Demographics of Ste. Marie
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2013 Michigan Population Data
- ↑ Ste. Marie Name Etymology
- ↑ Ste. Marie Tourism Bureau
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 The Great Earthquake of 1818
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Aftermath of the Earthquake of 1818
- ↑ Census of 1820
- ↑ French Canadian Emigration to the United States
- ↑ Ste. Marie in the Civil War
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 USGS: Les Cheneaux Seismic Zone
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 2009 Les Cheneaux earthquake exercise