Friday, April 18, 2008

Earthquake? ... Freaky!

I just happened to read Thomas' post about an earthquake that occurred earlier this morning in West Salem, Illinois. I'm about a three-hour car drive northeast of Chicago, so I'm sure someone felt the earthquake in my area. I didn't feel anything, but then, I was sound asleep. (Of course, I woke up at 6:30 this morning, so it is entirely possible that that was woke me up and I didn't realize it.) One of things that I thought about after reading Thomas' post was about the New Madrid fault line that is supposed to be somewhere around the Mississippi River area (and Saint Louis?). Plus, I find it freaky that this is the anniversary for the great 1906 earthquake in San Francisco.

(The last time that I can remember an earthquake reaching Michigan was back around 1998-1999, and at the time I was living in the Metro-Detroit area. I definitely felt that one as it occurred in the afternoon. That earthquake was also at least a 5.0 earthquake, but the earthquake started in Pennsylvania.)

I happened to take a look at Fox News report on the earthquake, and it indicated that people as far as away as 450 miles from West Salem were able to feel the earthquake. The area I am in is definitely well in range for one to feel the earthquake, so it is entirely plausible that someone felt it in my area.

1 comment:

Thomas MacEntee said...

It was kinda bizarre. I lived in California for 20 years but you really never get used to them. Since I live through the 1989 quake, whenever there is quake, even small one, I get this sinking feeling in my stomach.

This morning I wasn't sure what it was because I always equate earthquakes with California - I never expected it here!