Mississippi River Reversed by 1812 New Madrid Earthquake
A writer standing on a pier under the Brooklyn Bridge observed the East River’s tide flowing outward and reflected on a similar reversal that occurred on February 7, 1812, when the New Madrid fault slipped and caused the Mississippi River to run backwards for several hours, creating Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee. The 1812 quake is estimated at magnitude 8.2 on the Richter scale. The essay also mentions modern tidal‑energy projects, citing the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station in South Korea and La Rance in France, the latter being the world’s oldest large‑scale tidal power plant. The author recalls providing meals to first‑responders after the September 11, 2001 attacks, linking personal experience with historical and renewable‑energy themes.
Entities: East River · La Rance · Mississippi River · New Madrid fault · Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The author was providing meals for first responders and victims after the September 11, 2001 attacks. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The 1812 earthquake is estimated to have been magnitude 8.2 on the Richter scale. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] La Rance in France is the oldest large‑scale tidal power station still in operation. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Tidal energy is currently used at the Sihwa Lake Tidal Power Station in South Korea. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The tide in New York’s East River was flowing outward on the day described, appearing as a river running backwards. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The reversal formed Reelfoot Lake in northwest Tennessee. (All articles)
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Mississippi River ran backwards for several hours on February 7, 1812 due to a slip on the New Madrid fault. (All articles)