Web Produced By: Laura HornsbyWEST SALEM, Ill. (AP) -- A 5.4 earthquake that appeared to rival the strongest recorded in the region rocked people awake as far away as Milwaukee early Friday, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a powerful Midwest tremor.
The quake just before 5:37 a.m. (4:37 a.m. CT) and was centered 6 miles from West Salem, Ill., and 66 miles from Evansville, Ind. It awakened people in neighboring Indiana and even Milwaukee, Wis., 350 miles north of the epicenter.
"It shook our house where it woke me up," said David Behm of Philo, 10 miles south of Champaign. "Windows were rattling, and you could hear it. The house was shaking inches. For people in central Illinois, this is a big deal. It's not like California."
The quake shook skyscrapers in Chicago's Loop, 240 miles north of the epicenter, and in downtown Indianapolis, about 160 miles northeast of the epicenter.
9 News viewers from throughout the Tri-State, including Rising Sun, Lebanon, Newport and Mason called in to report no damages, but certainly experiences of feeling and at times of hearing the effects of these tremors. (You can read some of them below.)
Irvetta McMurtry of Cincinnati said she felt the rattling for up to 20 seconds.
"All of a sudden, I was awakened by this rumbling shaking," said McMurtry, 43. "My bed is an older wood frame bed, so the bed started to creak and shake, and it was almost like somebody was taking my mattress and moving it back and forth."
Attila Kilinc, a University of Cincinnati earthquake expert, said we should know more later today about the specific effects this earthquake had on the Tri-State.
Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Todd Ringle in Evansville said there were no immediate reports of damage.
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 organization's Web site said earthquakes occur irregularly in the area, and that the largest historical earthquake in the region -- also a magnitude 5.4 -- caused damage in southern Illinois in 1968.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Tri-State Viewers Tell 9 News Their Earthquake Experiences:
My 6 year old son, Spencer, woke me crying this morning. I went to his room and he said he was scared because he felt his bed shaking. I thought maybe he was dreaming, but heard on the news later about the earthquake. The rest of the family slept soundly.
-Stephanie Adkins, Burlington
I live in Wilmington Ohio - at around 6 am the desk was rattling and shaking - so we, too, felt the earthquake tremers!
-Kristine Knapp
[...] the earthquake was also felt in Tollesboro Kentucky. Thought you may be interested in this news also.
-Melonee
I'm sure you are hearing from many people, but the earthquake this morning woke me up in NKY ... then I raced into the kid's rooms not knowing what to do. Would it get worse? I'm not sure what to do if a major earthquake did hit this area?? [...]
-Lori
I reside in Campbell County Kentucky (Grants Lick) and I was awakened at 5:38am this morning to my bed shaking and my armoire doors hitting the wall. I'm not sure if you received other reports from Kentucky, but that was what prompted me to turn on Channel 9, and a few minutes later, I learned it was an earthquake. Just thought I'd share.
-Heidi L. Shay
I live in Dearborn County between St. Leon and Sunman, Indiana. This earthquake woke me up. I immediately looked at the clock and it was 5:35. My bed shook and the entire house shook for what seemed a very long time but was probably 30 seconds or so. Haven't seen any damage at the house. but I'm still shaking!
-Diana Trabel
We [felt] the effects of the earthquake this morning. We were awaken by the earthquake at 5:41 with our windows rattling windows and our bed shaking, lasting 10 seconds or so. We reside in Alexandria, Kentucky.
-The Meehans
From Tammy in Verona, Gallatin Co. KY: Earthquake felt at about 5:35 am... shook the whole house pretty good and lasted for about 30 seconds or more. It felt like more
In Montgomery, the house shook. -Suzanne Sabetta
There was just an earthquake in Fairfield - whole house shook. -Mark
We felt it too. We live in Fairfield, and around 535a this morning, the whole house shook. Glass rattled, etc.
-J. Saylor
Thought I would let you know that this earthquake was felt in Brown County also, specifically Mt. Orab. My husband and I lived in a suburb of Sacramento, Ca during the "World Series Earthquake". This morning was very "de ja vuish". The recliners vibrated, the ceiling fans swayed, and the cat ran up from the basement and hid under the bed. (She usually runs down to the basement in a thunderstorm). We have no damage and it actually only lasted about fourty-five seconds. Guess we were just very surprised that we hadn't left these occurences behind when we moved back to Ohio. Thank you for your time and for your wonderful coverage of all the news in this area.
-Margaret Janos
I have two cats, One smarter than the other. The male (Oedipus ,called Edward) wakes me every morning about 6 AM. The female, ( Scaramouche, called Mooshi), The runt of the litter, but very alert and smart, doesn't try to wake me ever. This AM about 4:30 she began jumping on my bed, running back and forth across me and cuddling on my chest as near my face as possible. This is really atypical behavior for her. This AM as I heard on your broadcast that an earthquake had occurred I believe she sensed this would happen and was trying to warn me. I am a light sleeper and often have thought I have felt earth tremors when in bed. I went back to sleep and slept through it all until Edward, The less intelligent of the two, awakened me for the second tim AT 6AM. Please don't tell Edward I said he is not too bright..He really loves watching TV and I love watching Good Morning Tri State. So take me seriously. I have advanced Degrees and am an educated singing teacher.
-Jan Canada Fritsch
I was awakened about 5:45, not knowing what was happening. I got up and looked all through the house to find what was making the noise. -Howard, Liberty, IN
I was up watching the morning news when I heard a sound like a huge wind gust. But, I heard no branches falling around my house as I usually do with wind. It also sounded a bit like an airplane. I am on the flight path to Lunken, so it would have been a possibility...except it lasted a longer time than most airplanes....then the house started to shake and move about. Still thinking it might be wind, I looked outside...calm as could be. Then I heard reports of an earthquake...... What a way to start the day!!
-Linda in Madeira
Dear GMTS, First off, I just want to say everybody there does a GREAT job, which is why you are my number one news channel! Secondly, I felt the earthquake early this morning! I live in Loveland, Ohio. Around 530 this morning, I woke up when I thought I heard someone knocking at my window. I was actually really worried. Then suddenly, my bed felt as if it was on the ocean! My mom was out in the garage, and she said the garage door was shaking and the TV antennae were fluttering about! What a crazy experience!
The earthquake woke me out of a deep sleep. I felt the house shaking and saw my closet door shaking. I yelled at my dog because I thought she was scratching against the door, but then I saw she was fast asleep at the foot of our bed. I then figured it was the wind, but I looked out and it looked really calm, plus I knew from the forecast it was supposed to be really nice today. I just figured I was loosing it and went back to bed. Then I heard it on the news and couldn't believe it. I never would have guessed an earthquake!
-Nikki, Maysville, KY
I had been up until nearly 1 a.m. working on a paper for school. I decided to wake up around 430 to finish it. When I heard what sounded like a really long-lasting rumble of thunder, I thought "Man I need to get more sleep." I didn't realize what had happened until somebody had called me and asked me if I'd felt the earthquake.
-Will
I was awakenend at 5:38 this am by the rattling of the handles on the bedroom dressers...and the shaking of my bed. I have been in 2 other earthquakes....I knew what it was. We live on the south side of Indian hill....near to Walton creek.
-Judy Schlotman
I
live in Bright, Indiana and around 5:30 this morning I woke up with my bed shaking and my lamp swaying back and forth. It sounded like thunder outside but I knew it wasnt supposed to storm. I just thought you would like to know what I experienced.
-Anonymous
Just wanted you to know we felt it here in Adams County too. Here in West Union I was lying in bed, my clock said 5:38 A.M. and things were shaking. My dresser was shaking my bed was shaking. I thought I was either crazy or it was an Earthquake. I ran and turned on the TV and sure enough channel 9 was already announcing an Earthquake had happpened. Thanks for being the first to announce all the important news. Keep up the good work.
-Vickie Pence
Wow, I am so glad to hear that I am not crazy. The earthquake woke me up. It felt like someone was under my bed shaking it. I was confused…at first I thought someone was in my house, then I thought perhaps I was just dreaming. I stayed awake for a little bit trying to figure it out. Then, the idea of an earthquake occurred to me so I looked at the clock and it said 5:41. I decided to go back to sleep. I just turned on the TV and found out I wasn’t crazy and there was indeed an earthquake.
-Megan
I felt my trailer shake and 2 DVDs fell over. I knew something wasn't right, but didn't know what it was. I turned on your station and was glad to see you were quickly reporting about it.
-Doug Freeze, Ripley, OH
We definitely felt the earthquake this morning up in Middletown. I was still in bed. My husband was getting dressed for work. He heard things vibrating and rattling on top of his dresser, and I felt the bed shaking for 20 – 30 seconds, I guess. I thought it might have been vibrations from a jet overhead, or something going on at AK Steel Mill.
-Chris B.
I live in Batesville, Indiana and i was watching TV trying to wind down from the day. i sat there and all of a sudden my house started to shake my blinds where moving my chandelier was shaking and all the windows where rattling. it felt like someone hit my house or was trying to pull the front end of my house off. i thought a train derailed by my house. it felt like it went on for a couple of minutes.
-Chad
I live in Demossville, KY 8 miles from Dry Ridge. I felt the earth Quake around 5:30 this morning. It shock the house enough to bring my daughter down from the second floor. I have lived in California in the 70s and went through several earthquakes. I have found no damage to the house. The nerves tend to get very rattled when this happens.
-Marty Alsip
Hello. My name is Lindsay Best and we live in Okeana, about miles from Brookville, In. I woke up to candles on wall clanking for about 20 to 30 seconds.
-Anonymous
We live in Georgetown, Ohio and we felt it around 5:40 a.m. while we were in bed on the second floor!!
-Jennifer Harcourt
Hi. The 'quake woke me up this morning here in Aurora in Dearborn County. My whole house shook. There was nothing that fell of the wall such as pictures etc. I thought it was the wind at first,but when i got up i heard my police scanner going crazy saying numerous tremors reported.
-Doug Beam. Aurora,Ind.
