[ETL]

The New Madrid fault zone in Mississippi almost caused the North American plate to break a while back

Yes, it was in the neighborhood of 600 million years ago, when the suspercontinent Rhodinia was breaking apart. Rhodinia preceded Pangea, the supercontinent that existed during the time of the dinosaurs. When continents begin to split apart they do so in a 3-prong process. Ultimately one of the arms "fails", and spreading procedds along the other two arms. This is what is currently happening in the area of the Great Rift Valley in Africa, the Red Sea, and Gulf of Aden.

[WMarshal]

I agee, likely a new rift zone being born. New ocean intrusion in a few million years. Everyone alive now will be dead so rational people are not alarmed.