Friday morning's quakes happened along the Wabash fault.

Scientists aren't sure if it is an extension of the more well-known New Madrid fault.

Regardless, that has a lot of us wondering if we're out of the woods yet.

Is this a precursor to the so-called big one?

"I don't think we can say that. I really don't," says John Hark, the Emergency Management Coordinator for Hannibal and Marion County.

Nonetheless, Hark says this should be an eye-opener that quakes do happen in the Tri-States. The last measurable quake was a little more than 20 years ago. And you'll recall hearing about the major quake in 1812 that reportedly reversed the flow of the Mississippi. In fact, according to the Center for Earthquake Education and Technology Transfer, there's a 90 percent chance of a magnitude 6 point 0 quake or higher before the year 2040.

"It's past due. If you calculate time and so forth, we know it can go. We know it can be a major one when it goes," adds Hark.

You may wonder if these quakes could "wake up" the New Madrid fault, or is this a way that fault line releases pressure, so to speak. We asked someone with the Mid America Earthquake Center at the University of Illinois. He told us most experts do not think that's a possibility. But some plans are in place in case that happens.

"We do know a major earthquake in the New Madrid, an 8.6 or an 8.7...it is going to have as drastic effect as Hurricane Katrina," says Hark.

Hark has this advice for all of us.

Consider this quake a wake-up call to have an emergency preparedness kit, if you don't have one already.