It's very rare, but Indianapolis felt a slight tremor this morning at about 5:40 a.m. I was laying in bed when my bed started shaking. It didn't last more than a few seconds, but it was enough to rattle your nerves. WTHR reports that the quake could be felt in parts of East Central Indiana and as far south as Evansville. No reports of any damage so far. The U.S. Geologocical Survey is recording it as a 5.4 magnitude quake. Here are the details, which indicate it was centered in Southeast Illinois near the border with Indiana in West Salem, Illinois:
Friday, April 18, 2008 at 09:36:56 UTC
Friday, April 18, 2008 at 04:36:56 AM at epicenter
Location
38.520°N, 87.873°W
Depth
5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program
Region
ILLINOIS
Distances
12 km (7 miles) E (90°) from West Salem, IL
13 km (8 miles) NE (53°) from Bone Gap, IL
14 km (9 miles) W (266°) from Allendale, IL
36 km (22 miles) WSW (241°) from Vincennes, IN
67 km (41 miles) NNW (335°) from Evansville, IN
206 km (128 miles) E (93°) from St. Louis, MO
Friday, April 18, 2008 at 09:36:56 UTC
Friday, April 18, 2008 at 04:36:56 AM at epicenter
Location
38.520°N, 87.873°W
Depth
5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program
Region
ILLINOIS
Distances
12 km (7 miles) E (90°) from West Salem, IL
13 km (8 miles) NE (53°) from Bone Gap, IL
14 km (9 miles) W (266°) from Allendale, IL
36 km (22 miles) WSW (241°) from Vincennes, IN
67 km (41 miles) NNW (335°) from Evansville, IN
206 km (128 miles) E (93°) from St. Louis, MO
UPDATE: If you thought you felt an aftershock at about 11:15 a.m., you did. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.5 from the same epicenter in West Salem, Illinois.
Mayor Ballard is taking the earthquake seriously. His administration put out a press release this morning, which tells us that all is well. It reads, in part:
The Indianapolis/Marion County Emergency Management agency has been monitoring the situation throughout the morning. At this time, there are no reports of injuries or damage. Many city agencies such as the Department of Public Works, Department of Metropolitan Development, IMPD& IFD will have personnel out throughout the day, monitoring the situation and responding if damage reports are received.
Citizens Gas, United Water and IPL have all reported no damage and will be
re-assessing throughout the next few hours. Roads, Bridges and water facilities have all checked out with no damage.
Because we don't live in areas that usually feel earthquakes, this came as quite a shock to many Indianapolis residents. People do need tounderstand it has happened before and will happen again. Being prepared is vital to individual and family safety.
17 comments:
Ah-Ha! So I am NOT going crazy! It was enough to wake me up. I layed in bed for a few minutes thinking I was going mad and then decided to pop online to see if anyone else was reporting it. Bizarre!
We felt it in Fort Wayne, too.
A friend in Chicago was woken up by the tremors, too.
we live in Naperville, IL (40 miles west of Chicago) and were awoken with our bed shaking and the doors to our armoire rattling - seemed to last about 15 - 20 seconds. My husband is from so. calif. and was sure it felt like an earthquake - but I just didn't think we had those here!
whew...it woke me up and I thought I had just had a wet dream.
We felt it in Granger, north of South Bend - a good 30 - 40 secs. of shaking.
Interestingly - my mother in Crawfordsville did NOT feel it.
I didn't feel it either but then again if I did I'd figured it was someone's subwoofer on their car stereo booming and rattling the windows.
WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!
I totally slept through it. I wonder what I'll be doing when THE REALLY BIG ONE hits?
Yet more evidence of global warming....
Remember, every weather phenomenon can be tied to global warming. That's the beauty of the theory.
Just felt an aftershock at 11:15 AM
I too felt the aftershock at 11:15. This one was big enough to wake my sister (in Terre Haute) back up. None of the other aftershocks woke her. How do they decide if what we just felt was an aftershock or infact another earthquake, out of curiosity?
I hate responding to myself, but... the USGS rated this one a prelinary 4.5 according to their website. Just north of the original quake early this morning.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/37.39.-89.-87.php
I'm just north of Greenwood and was awoke by the tremor at 5:40am but just now, at 11:17am there was a second, softer tremor that lasted about 45-60 seconds. It was sharp at first for about 5 seconds then it tapered off to a very, very slight tremor lasting the remaining 40-50 seconds.
Coming to Indy from Pittsburgh, I've never felt an earthquake before so it is a little unsettling.
Nothing like an earthquake the next day to make everyone forget about the big booms and lights in the sky of the night before (which made national news). -- Melyssa
The strongest Earthquake I've ever felt, and I spent ~25 of the first 28 years of my life in the Pacific Northwest. Neato. Much better than the Earthquake I didn't feel that people standing 20 yards away felt.
South Indianapolis.
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