 Why would the band of scientists fear that there might not be pieces to pick up once the affected area population returned?
It has happened a hundred times in the long history of Earth—and, sooner or later, will happen again! Only Joseph Schwartzberg, head geographer of the Department of the Interior, wondered if the disturbance might not be a settling of the Kiowa Fault. The dust volcano was on the face of it a more plausible theory. They found themselves on the scene of what was fast becoming the most violent and widespread earthquake North America—probably the world—has ever seen in historic times. East, where sharp reports and muffled wheezes told of continued buckling and dropping, the earth trembled downward. But the band of scientists who had rallied to his leadership privately wondered if there would be any pieces.
 The damage would be too substantial and there would nothing left to salvage.
 They were doubting the theory by Schwartzberg.  The damage would be too substantial and there would nothing left to salvage.  They feared that no one would escape alive.  Theft in the area was also on the rise.