On this day in 1812, the Mississippi River flowed backwards. This bizarre occurrence was due to catastrophic seismic events caused by the New Madrid earthquakes. The event also created two temporary waterfalls on the river, formed two lakes, swallowed the town of New Madrid, and devastated dozens of towns and settlements across the region. The quake registered 8.0 on the Richter Scale, ten times more powerful than the infamous San Francisco quake of 1906.
Jason Roberts is a Seattle-based author noted for his acclaimed western horror series The Dead Wind Trilogy as well as other works of cosmic horror infused with historical fiction. His web-based series, Dark Distractions examines paranormal mysteries, unexplained phenomena, and all things strange.
