This could be the begining!
The zone had four of the largest North American earthquakes in recorded history, with moment magnitudes estimated to be greater than 7.0, all occurring within a 3 month period between December of 1811 and February of 1812. Many of the published accounts describe the cumulative effects of all the earthquakes (known as the New Madrid Sequence); thus finding the individual effects of each quake can be difficult. Magnitude estimates and epicenters are based on interpretations of historical accounts and may vary.
[link to en.wikipedia.org]