Chicago Hit by Minor Rare Earthquake
Earthquakes are pretty uncommon in Illinois, and many would say that they just aren’t suppose to happen. However, one struck the city of Chicago just before 4am on Wednesday morning and reached as far as Wisconsin and Indiana.
The quake registered at a 3.8 magnitude and showed up suddenly, completely surprising sleeping residents. Since it was a pretty small shake - small compared to other recent quakes around the world - and occurred in an area that doesn’t typically have them, there weren’t any reported damages or injuries.
Although the quake originated in a suburb of Chicago, it was felt by residents in Iowa, Indiana and Wisconsin. According to the US Geological Survey, quakes of this magnitude in an area like this can be felt as far away as 60 miles. It could have reached as much as 300 miles out if was a little larger, but it had been rather limited, which was good, as there seems to be no major damage done.
Earthquakes in the Midwest are rare occurrences, so there aren’t many historical references to look back at. This is probably because they don’t cause very much damage, as the USGA says that one happened just 2 years ago in 2008, when a 5.2 magnitude quake struck in Illinois. People seem to remember when more destruction happens, and this one did very little to leave an impression.
Probably the most memorable Midwestern quake was in 1968, when a 5.4 magnitude was felt all they to Boston and even Ontario, Canada. It caused a fair amount of damage near its origin, Carbondale, but there still wasn’t as much destruction as what has happened in other parts of the world recently.