5.4 Earthquake Gives Illinois a Wake Up Call

At about 4:40 am on Friday April 18, 2008, the quiet town of New Salem was rocked with an earthquake. This town, famous for it's village celebrating the life and lore of President Abraham Lincoln was deep in sleep when the 5.4 quake hit. Felt as far west as Des Moines, Iowa and as far north as Milwaukee, Wisconsin, this quake was quite a shock for local residents who were jolted out of a sound sleep by the approximately 5 second tremor. Experts report that the epicenter was actually located approximately 5 miles north-northeast of Belmont, Illinois but was of such a strength that the shock was felt in at least two neighboring states, some say up to and exceeding 450 miles away.

For those who are not savvy to the workings of earthquakes, they are usually a result of plates deep within the earth shifting and rubbing against each other causing a disruption deep within the earth, which then causes the earthquake's signature shaking. And while it may sound strange for an earthquake to happen in the Midwest, the truth of the matter is, it is not unheard of for earthquakes to hit this typically quiet region.

The history of earthquakes in the Midwest is many and varied. While the first earthquake in nearby Iowa was reported in 1867, Shenandoah, Iowa recently reported a quake in 2004. An earthquake of historic proportions hit New Madrid, Missouri in 1812,causing a river nearby the epicenter to change directions and causing untold damage at that time.

This recent earthquake centered in Illinois which was felt in neighboring states, triggered dogs awakening and acting strangely and as one resident of nearby Iowa remarked, "it just was odd, something wasn't quite right and the dog knew it". Some say that animals do in fact act differently, somewhat uneasy with what is about to happen, often minutes before the event. Scientists cannot explain this phenomenon but "old timers" say that it is also common before a tornado or blizzard as well. Whether it is legend or lore, the fact of the matter is this. Illinois experienced a 5.4 earthquake in the early morning hours of April 18, 2008, an experience this quiet area will no doubt be talking about for a long time to come.