We all know that earthquakes are among the deadliest and most destructive mega disasters man faces. If you live along the Pacific Rim, from Alaska to California to Japan, your chances of experiencing a real quake are pretty high.

What many people do not know is that intraplate earthquakes, from Missouri to Charleston and South Carolina to New York City, have devastated the heartland and east coast of the United States many times in the last several hundred years.

We pose the very real question of what would happen if a major earthquake were to strike New York City today? Even a relatively moderate temblor by California standards could destroy billions of dollars worth of property and kill thousands of people.