You’ll Never Guess What People Wonder About Illinois

When you picture Illinois, what do you see? Miles and miles of flat land, long stretches of interstate highway, the tall buildings of Chicago, and beautiful farmland; we're practically in the heart of the Midwest.

Ok, maybe we're more like the pulmonary artery, but geographically speaking, we're not exactly in a hot spot for earthquakes. So you could imagine how surprised I was when I read that people want to know why Illinois has earthquakes.

Am I missing something? I know I haven't lived here long, but I don't remember there ever being an earthquake here.  But according to Mental Floss, that's what people wonder about the Land of Lincoln; "why does Illinois have earthquakes?"

I Googled the question myself and learned that there have been some tiny earthquakes here and according to NPR, the New Madrid Fault line under the state is capable of producing a "big one" and the threat of a major event is "very real;" especially if you live in southern Illinois.

Huh, who knew?