How likely is it that huge group of people could have a part in something this big without some good old-time guilt or war-story blah-blah bringing tales to light?
Cold war was over. America felt bulletproof.
Mississippi valley has been shaking for centuries. Plates don't move all that fast. Heck, we're still waiting for California to go surfing.
NEW MADRID FAULT BEWARE
Great Lakes region water did flow down the Mississippi into the Gulf ... but they weren't all that great back then. Their basin was carved last around 12 thousand years ago by Laurentide ice
...and what rewards does your friend hope to reap from the climatic gravy train? Playing systems and trends aren't new gimmicks. Investors have long played them.