Many Feel Earthquake Along Illinois-Kentucky Border Thursday

Many along the Illinois-Kentucky border were awakened by an earthquake that has now been confirmed by the USGS.

As I was looking at the USGS earthquake site this morning, I noticed an earthquake in our part of America, but it was further east than I'm accustomed to seeing. It was an earthquake located just west of Paducah, Kentucky right across the river in Illinois.

According to the USGS, they had many contact them reporting they felt this quake even though it only registered a 2.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale.

The location of this interesting earthquake is an interesting spot that's in-between the New Madrid Seismic Zone and the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. This minor quake is almost certainly activity from the New Madrid Fault, but I rarely see earthquakes on the Illinois-Kentucky border.

How big an earthquake is possible in Illinois?

Illinois Emergency Management says there is a a 25% to 40% chance of a magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquake in this seismic zone. While Thursday morning's quake was minor and not large enough to cause damage, this is a reminder that a major quake will not offer any warning before it happens. The bridge in Paducah spanning the Ohio River would be one of the transportation hubs that would almost certainly be shut down until it could be inspected in the event of a major earthquake. It's important to have an emergency plan with your family to know ahead of time what you would do if a major quake happened. It may not happen in your lifetime or it could happen today.