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This month marks the 200th anniversary of the catastrophic 1812 New Madrid earthquake that violently shook Kentucky and several other states. LEX 18's Adam Baker is On Special Assignment at the quake's epicenter in Missouri to investigate the question, "Could it happen again?"

Journals, books and artwork capture the catastrophe of the 1800s. Some research suggests the great quake was actually a series of more than 2,000 shocks over five months - the greatest on February 7, 1812, measuring 8.8 on the Richter Scale.

Anne Copeland helps run New Madrid's History Museum, and the latest edition is a new exhibit created for the 200th anniversary.

"We think it just it needs to be told because people need to be aware that these things can happen," said Copeland.

The quake rattled people as far away as New York City, rang church bells in Washington, D.C. and and changed New Madrid forever. Still today, sand pits are left from fractures in the earth. "That (fracture) was made by the earthquake," as Copeland pointed to a spot. "That is on the New Madrid golf course. Right here in town.

200 years ago, the closest settlement to the epicenter was in New Madrid, Missouri, right along the Mississippi River. Now ,the fault line beneath has become known as the New Madrid Fault. A fault, some say could repeat history. The fault crosses Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee and Illinois. It's been studied by experts for years.

In 1990, researcher Iben Browning predicted the next big one would hit on December 3. Schools closed, earthquake insurance policies soared and the media descended on the town of New Madrid. Residents remember it well.

"About two weeks before that was supposed to happen we had a pretty good shaker and I thought, 'lookie here,'" said resident Bill French. "Maybe it is going to happen?"

Nothing did, and it was dubbed "The Great Media Quake Of 1990." But, many say Browning deserves a thank you.

"It opened our eyes and told us, you're not prepared in any way," said French.

Talk of the next disaster hasn't stopped. Geologist Zhenming Wang at the University of Kentucky says the New Madrid is capable of repeating the nightmare of 1812, but probably not for several more hundred years. Some say when it happens, Memphis and St. Louis would fall. Wang says in Kentucky, Paducah would be hit worst. In Lexington, he says damage would be minor. Older houses may crack and chimneys would crumble.

Kentucky Emergency Management director John Heltzel says the Commonwealth regularly practices earth quake drills and encourages every family to have a survival kit. In New Madrid, they're on sale in the museum gift shop. "I just hope people will get prepared," said Copeland. "Take care of themselves."

Many say it's not a question of "if" the next great quake will happen - it's "when?"

Kentucky and at least eight other states will hold an earthquake drill at 11:15 a.m. on February 7 called "The Great Central U.S. Shake Out." You can get more information by going to http://kyem.ky.gov/pages/default.aspx.