Education is the key. We need to take safety measures to protect our homes and our lives. Mandatory school drills should be implemented for earthquakes just as schools practice for a tornado or fire. People must be aware of earthquake safety just like any other natural disaster. We need to revise building codes for new construction to make the structures able to withstand earthquakes.
Modification is also necessary to existing structures.
One of the underlying deficiencies surrounding the New Madrid fault is lack of research and publicity. Much of the nation's attention is focused on the earthquakes that plague California. Though the New Madrid fault erupts less frequently, it affects a much larger area increasing the possible amount of damage. Some advancement has been made to study and prepare for the next major earthquake in the midwest. Earthquake education has been adopted by many schools including those in Kentucky who mandated it.