 Despite the fact that Kansas is not seismically active , a strong earthquake could pose significant threats to the state . If an earthquake were to occur , it would likely be along the Nemaha Ridge , which is still active . The Humboldt Fault Zone , a fault just off the Ridge , lies just 12 miles ( 19 km ) eastward of the Tuttle Creek Reservoir near Manhattan . If an earthquake were to occur here , it would likely destroy the dam , releasing 300 @,@ 000 feet ( 91 @,@ 440 m ) of water per second and flooding the nearby area , also threatening roughly 13 @,@ 000 people and 5 @,@ 900 homes . A moderate earthquake " between 5 @.@ 7 to 6 @.@ 6 would cause sand underneath the dam to liquefy into quicksand , causing the dam to spread out and the top to drop up to three feet . " A large earthquake would spawn gaps , forcing water to leak and eventually cause the dam to collapse . Any earthquake that could pose a threat occurs on a cycle of roughly 1 @,@ 800 years , according to the United States Army Corps of Engineers , who studied the area first in 1980 . 
