That’s right, there is no misprint. Bloomington was struck by an earthquake that originated in central Illinois,
just 45 miles from Evansville, Indiana, at 4:37am.
While some students hailing from California may have slept through the 5.2-magnitude quake without a stir, most Midwesterners woke up thinking a) somebody is trying to jackhammer through my bedroom wall, b) terrorists have struck again, or c) did I really drink that much last night?
Thankfully it didn't compare to a California quake (above); no major damage reported
The original effect may have only lasted mere seconds, but it was enough to give any unexpected person quite a shock. The quake didn’t cause any major damage here in Bloomington, but it was enough to cause some minor upheaval within individual homes. Although people here in Indiana are used to occasional flooding, blizzards, and the even the very rare tornado, an earthquake around here seemed about as reasonable as a UFO touching down in the middle of Bill Armstrong Stadium (at least in many students’ minds).
Interestingly, there is a sparse history of earthquakes in central Illinois. The last one to hit the region was a 5.0-magnitude quake in 2002. However today’s 5.2-magnitude quake was still one of the largest ever recorded in the area (a 5.3-magnitude quake was recorded in 1968). Robert Nelson, a professor at Southern Illinois University,
told Pantagraph.com that similar earthquakes usually occur “once every five to seven years” and that luckily damage is only a major concern for magnitudes of 6.0 or more.
Nelson also noted that thanks to the solid bedrock underneath the Midwest, effects were felt as far away as Des Moines, Indianapolis, St. Louis, and Chicago. The uninterrupted layer transmitted the energy much farther than usual.
As for us here in Bloomington, I think we can all be thankful that we could experience such an immense phenomenon of the earth, maybe for the first time ever, without suffering any consequences in lives or property. In other states this kind of event may have been dismissed as a common occurrence, but here it was a rare, exciting, and somewhat unsettling event. It was an interesting experience, but I know it makes me think twice about moving out to California.
Discuss the recent earthquake in the Bloomington 4/18/08 Earthquake Thread.
Related links:
IU investigating quakes: HeraldTimesOnline.com
Pantagraph.com | News | Aftershocks continue after 5.2-magnitude quake in Illinois
Earthquake, aftershocks shake Southern Indiana
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