"An Earthquake in Wisconsin?"

Well, there really is a first time for everything. I can now say that I have lived through an earthquake.

Last Monday (June 28), a 4.1 magnitude quake hit Northern Illinois directly south of Milwaukee, and 70 miles west of Chicago. Damage was minimal and there were no injuries reported. It certainly didn't come anything close to the major earthquakes that usually grace the news, but, nonetheless, it was still felt here in Milwaukee. Quakes in this part of the U.S. are very rare, but they do happen.

According to the news, the ground shook at 1:11am Monday morning (June 28). I was awake, sitting on my bed going through some files. I'm usually up that late, so it was nothing out of the ordinary. When the room actually shook for a few seconds, my first thought was that one of the typical large trucks had just gone past my apartment. It took a few moments to realize that there had been no truck.

The idea that this had been an earthquake tickled my mind, but didn't stay long. It seemed too proposterous. I had never heard of there ever being a noticable earthquake in Wisconsin. Why should there be one now? So I went back to work. Earlier this week I decided to follow up on that idea, and sure enough, I had felt an earthquake.

I guess there is a first time for everything. I have to wonder though, how would I have reacted had it been a larger quake? Something to think about I suppose. And something I hope never happens.

"Quake rocks southeast Wisconsin, 5 other states"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 4:25 PM  I   I  0 comments