Did You Feel The 3.3 Magnitude Earthquake In Illinois?

If you felt a little rumble underneath your feet on Monday, you are not alone.

It's very rare that we see, or feel, earthquakes in this neck of the woods, but it's not impossible.  A 3.3 magnitude earthquake shook parts of east-central Illinois on Monday, according to a Geological Survey.  Around 11:30pm, near Lerna and Neoga, it was reported to be about 5.5 miles deep and around 195 miles southeast of Quincy, Illinois.

Read More: The 1967 Belvidere Tornado That Shook Northern Illinois 

Sure, this wasn't a major earthquake, but it was so strong that residents said they felt the ground shake.  Even Decatur and Hopedale felt the quake.  Yep, Illinois can get earthquakes from time to time!

"During any 50-year time span, there is a 25% to 40% chance of a magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquake in this seismic zone. Since 1974, the year network monitoring of seismic activity began, more than 3000 earthquakes have been recorded in the NMSZ." [iemaohs]

More reports were found in Mattoon, Trilla, Charleston, and Lerna.  Those areas listed are closest to the epicenter.  If you live in Rockford, you more than likely didn't feel anything.  Nobody was talking about it on Monday, and the news stations weren't reporting anything so I think we're safe!

In the region, the largest earthquake ever recorded was in 1968.  It was a 5.4 magnitude quake that damaged a large portion of southern Illinois.

Is Illinois on a major fault line?

"Illinois is at risk from two major seismic zones, the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone and the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ). The Wabash Valley Zone is located between southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana." [iemaohs]

Stay safe, we are also in a the most dangerous month of the year because tornado season is in full swing.  Anything can happen and weather is very unpredictable!