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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

U.S. Geological Survey maps of the earthquake

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


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.

[judy]

Is everybody in that area okay? You felt it Kat? Must have been scary!

[katcarasella]

No, I was sound asleep. They say there were no injuries here, but it's on all the news stations.

[Forgivenmom5]

So Kat........ What did you do that would make you sleep through an earthquake?

[katcarasella]

Originally Posted by Forgivenmom5

So Kat........ What did you do that would make you sleep through an earthquake?

I had my grandson Joey yesterday afternoon and we were running around the park, and then he spent the night, so I was worn out. We had a lot of fun though!

[Forgivenmom5]

Originally Posted by katcarasella

I had my grandson Joey yesterday afternoon and we were running around the park, and then he spent the night, so I was worn out. We had a lot of fun though!

Was it Joey or was it Kat being the party animal!!!!!! Glad you had fun with your grandson.

[Gina]

Originally Posted by Forgivenmom5

So Kat........ What did you do that would make you sleep through an earthquake?

We should only know Debbie...


Glad everyone is alright...

[Forgivenmom5]

Originally Posted by Gina

We should only know Debbie...


Glad everyone is alright...

We might not want too!!!! Might be too much information......

[Marilyn]

This is interesting, though. Did anyone here feel it?? We were on Maui once when there was an earthquake. Hubby was in the bathroom and I was still in bed when it happened. He felt it shake and saw the shower curtain move. I saw the curtains at the window sway when he yelled out, but I thought it was just from the fan. He turned on the TV and sure enough, we'd been through a quake. We were flying to the Big Island of Hawaii that morning which was the epicenter of the quake. Roads were damaged, the hospital was a mess. We didn't get to see the volcanos because the roads to get there were closed.

Hope everyone and their things are okay!!

[judy]

Are you guys finished earthquaking there? No more aftershocks, I hope.

We had an earthquake once here. I slept right through it. NY is also on a fault.

[katcarasella]

THE HIGHEST EARTHQUAKE RISK in the UNITED STATES outside the West Coast is along the New Madrid Fault. Damaging tremors are not as frequent as in California, but when they occur, the destruction covers over more than 20 times the area because of underlying geology.

A DAMAGING EARTHQUAKE in this AREA, 6.0 or greater, occur about every 80 years (the last one in 1895). The results would cause serious damage to schools and masonry buildings from Memphis to St Louis.

A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE in this AREA, 7.5 or greater, happens every 200- 300 years (the last one in 1812). There is a 25% chance by 2040. A New Madrid Fault rupture this size would be felt throughout half the United States and damage 20 states or more. Missouri alone could anticipate losses of at least $6 billion from such an event.

THE GREAT NEW MADRID EARTHQUAKE OF 1811-1812 was actually a series of over 2000 shocks in five months, five of which were 8.0 or more in magnitude. Eighteen of these rang church bells on the Eastern seaboard. The very land itself was destroyed in the Missouri Bootheel, making it unfit even for farmers for many years. It was the largest burst of seismic energy east of the Rocky Mountains in the history of the United States and was several times larger than the San Francisco quake of 1906.

[Janet]

I haven't felt any more aftershocks, but that doesn't mean there weren't any. They really are kind of scary, no warning. I really don't want to have another, it sure was a helpless feeling.