A new book, free and available to the public through the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, allows readers to gauge losses from future New Madrid earthquakes.

The book, titled "Damages & Losses From Future New Madrid Earthquakes," was written by David Stewart, associate professor of earth science at Southeast Missouri State University, under contract by the University's Center for Earthquake Studies.

Stewart began writing the book three years ago after receiving a matching grant of $20,000 from the state and federal emergency management agencies. Stewart said he got the idea for the book after looking over several technical engineering reports.

"Nobody could understand them (the reports) because they were too complex," he said. "I got an idea for how to recast the material and combine it with several studies."

Stewart's scale, called CUSEIS (Central U.S. Earthquake Intensity Scale) is simple to apply, whether technically trained or not, he said. CUSEIS is intended to provide a simple methodology that would result in an easy, inexpensive first estimate of earthquake losses anywhere along the New Madrid Fault.

Users of the new book will be able to choose any county in the Midwest, specify a time of day and magnitude of earthquake on the New Madrid Fault, and then calculate an estimate of the number of fatalities, serious injuries, displaced persons, buildings damaged or collapsed, bridges out, and utility lines down or broken to be expected from a quake the size postulated in that county.

"Now, anybody can name any size earthquake and estimate how it will affect their home area or any other part of the Midwest," Stewart said.

He added that the scale will be useful for emergency management officers and responders designing drills in various localities.

Since publication of the book, the Arkansas State Emergency Management Agency has adopted Stewart's scale and forwarded the information pertinent to each county, to every county emergency management director, Stewart said. The Arkansas National Guard also has adopted the scale as the basis for its response planning in case of an earthquake disaster.

The Missouri Department of Health has adopted Stewart's scale and plans to distribute the information pertinent to each county, to every Missouri hospital.

To receive a copy of the book, write to: Missouri State Emergency Management Agency, Attention: Ed Gray, P.O. Box 116, Jefferson City, Mo., 65102 or to: Federal Emergency Management Agency, Region VII, 911 Walnut St., Room 300, Kansas City, Mo., 61406.