Earthquake here at 4:37 A.M.

[katcarasella]

They say it was felt in 9 states, did anyone else feel it?
It was 200 miles south of Chicago.

WEST SALEM, Ill. (AP/WBBM/STNG) - An earthquake in southern Illinois woke people in the Chicago area and residents reported vibrating shelves and moving ceilings.
The earthquake appeared to rival the strongest recorded in the region.

The quake just before 4:37 a.m. was centered six miles from West Salem, Ill., and 66 miles from Evansville, Ind. It was felt in such distant cities as Chicago,

Cincinnati, Milwaukee, and Des Moines, Iowa, 450 miles northwest of the epicenter, but there were no early reports of injuries or significant damage.

Chicago city officials and police were to discuss the quake with reporters at 11 a.m.

The largest historical earthquake in the region, which was also a 5.4 magnitude, damaged southern Illinois in 1968.

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U.S. Geological Survey maps of the earthquake

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The National Weather Service said it has received reports from residents as far north as Lake County and the quake could be felt in the Romeoville office.

In Chicago, the city’s 911 call-center had an immediate spike in calls from people reporting tremors, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.

The quake occurred in the Illinois basin-Ozark dome region that covers parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas and stretches from Indianapolis and St. Louis to Memphis, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The survey’s Web site said earthquakes occur irregularly in the area.

More than 100 calls came into the 911 call-center for the earth shaking, Office of Emergency Management and Communications spokeswoman Jennifer Martinez said.

“For the most part, people are reporting they felt movement and some items vibrated on shelves and some ceiling fixtures could be seen moving,” Langford said.

As of 5:30 a.m., the fire department said nobody has been injured, Langford said. There have been no reports of significant structural damage to area buildings.

In Plainfield, a police dispatcher said multiple people reported their houses being shaken. She said the quake was not felt in the police station.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey the depth of the earthquake was 5.0 kilometers.