Orange dot represents epicenter of the earthquake that struck July 15, 2024. (U.S. Geological Survey)
By Patty Wetli | WTTW
Residents of small towns roughly 60 miles west of Chicago woke up Monday to what they thought was thunder, but turned out to be an earthquake.
The 3.4 magnitude tremor struck just before 3 a.m., with an epicenter near Somonauk, Ill., according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
“Low rolling rumble … then the house shook,” one resident reported, commenting on a Facebook post shared by the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office.
Those nearest to a small earthquake will feel a sharp jolt, followed by stronger sharp shakes that pass quickly, USGS said. Damage typically doesn’t occur until quake magnitude hits above 4 or 5.
While earthquakes are rare east of the Rocky Mountains, Illinois sits within two “hot spots” for quakes in the central U.S., and has experienced three in the past 12 months, including two in late 2023.
One hot spot is the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which spans the central Mississippi Valley from Cairo, Ill., through southeastern Missouri, western Kentucky, western Tennessee and northeast Arkansas. This area has been the site of some of the largest earthquakes in North America, according to the state of Illinois.
More here.
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