| 4.0 earthquake shakes Tennessee, 8 other states | | Posted: Tuesday, February 21, 2012 10:00 pm
| From AP, staff reports
EAST PRAIRIE, Mo. (AP) — Only minor damage has been reported after an earthquake centered in southeast Missouri shook at least nine states.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 4.0 earthquake was centered near the town of East Prairie, Mo. It was about 16 miles from Cairo, Ill., close to where Interstates 55 and 57 converge.
Geological Survey geophysicist Amy Vaughan said several people in Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee reported being awakened by the quake that happened just before 4 a.m. A few residents of North Carolina, Alabama, Indiana and Georgia also felt it.
East Prairie city administrator Lonnie Thurmond said the shaking lasted about seven seconds. Vaughan said he’s heard reports of cracks in sidewalks and walls, some broken windows and minor household damage such as rattled shelves and things falling from cabinets.
There were no reports of significant damage.
According to a preliminary earthquake report from the Center for Earthquake Research and Information in Memphis, the “light earthquake” occurred at 3:58 a.m. today at a depth of 3.1 miles. It was the first quake recorded this month by CERI, but was the strongest of the last 30 most recent earthquakes recorded in the region.
Prior to this morning’s temblor, a 1.5 magnitude micro earthquake was recorded at 7:08 a.m. Jan. 30 and was centered four miles south of Ridgely in Lake County at a depth of 2.6 miles.
To view information about other recent tremors, visit the CERI website at www.ceri.memphis.edu and click on “Recent earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S.” Published in The Messenger 2.21.12 | | | | |
