200 Earthquakes Have Quietly Shaken Southern Illinois Since 2000

How seismically-active is southern Illinois? Likely more than you think as there have quietly been nearly 200 earthquakes in the past 25 years. The USGS has kept track of all of them which means you can see how much the ground has been shaking underneath you nearly unnoticed.

Illinois is one of the most seismically-active states in America

Due to the more frequent earthquakes that have shaken Illinois over the past couple of years, I became curious about how many tremors have been felt in Illinois since the year 2000. I went to the USGS earthquake site and queried their database to see what earthquakes have been confirmed in Illinois over the past 25 years. Here's the stunning map of the past two and a half decades of earthquake activity in Illinois.

Read More: Could Busch Stadium Survive a Major Quake?

Surprised? Me, too. What was the strongest earthquake in Illinois since the year 2000? April 18, 2008, there was a magnitude 5.4 quake that was eventually downgraded to a 5.2 quake with an epicenter near Bellmont, Illinois. It was felt by more than 26,000 residents.

Did you know that Illinois is being impacted by two earthquake fault systems that are both capable of greater than 7.0 magnitude quakes?

Southern Illinois is really in an earthquake danger zone. Most know about the New Madrid Fault, but more are now becoming aware of the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone. There is now evidence in the rocks that Illinois may have been shaken by a 7.5 magnitude quake in the pre-historic past. That's why southern Illinois residents need to be earthquake aware as it's almost certain a major quake will interrupt their lives sometime in their lifetime.