Quake?

[NJFFSA16]

DYERSBURG, Tenn. (AP) - Some residents of northwestern Tennessee
were jarred awake Thursday by a minor earthquake.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported the temblor had a magnitude
of 4 and was centered 10 miles north-northwest of Dyersburg, near
Ridgely. The agency said the quake was about 15 1/2 kilometers
below the surface.
Dyer County fire chief and emergency management agency director
James Paul Medling said emergency agencies were flooded with
telephone calls from anxious residents shortly after the 6:38 a.m.
CDT event, but no one reported any damage.
"I was still in bed," Medling told The Associated Press. "I
felt my house shake twice, my bed shook twice and I heard a big
boom."
Medling said he went outside and the water was swirling in his
dog's water bucket.
The area where the quake was felt is in the New Madrid fault
zone - a seismically active area that runs along the Mississippi
River from New Madrid in the Missouri Bootheel to Marked Tree, Ark.
Scientists say a huge earthquake in 1811-1812 struck the area,
causing the river to run backward for a time and creating Reelfoot
Lake on the Tennessee-Kentucky border.
The Geological Survey also reported a very small quake in the
region on Monday. The 1.6 magnitude temblor was centered five miles
south of Manila, Ark., about 45 miles west-southwest of Dyersburg.

(Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[ullrichk]

You post this as if you seem surprised! It was a nice little jolt.

People seem to forget that there's a major fault in middle America. Unfortunately, that includes most of the people who live here.

[doughesson]

We felt that sucker here in Paducah.I thought that it was just the critters getting under the house again.
The newsies acted like it was the first one and even mentioned that it"was theoretical that the 1812 earthquake formed Reelfoot Lake".
The first one I'd ever felt was in 74,(same fault line,but in Memphis)and as I remember it,there was more noise involved.

[ullrichk]

It's good to see someone else from the neighborhood, so to speak!

We seem to be having a flurry of micro-quakes. I just hope we're not warming up for the big one - California's got nothing like the New Madrid.

I've been following along at the USGS site. (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/)

[doughesson]

Well,given that the rocks that make up where we walk and build things is in constant motion,I'm not surprised that we have micro quakes.
Just like "choir practice" after a particularly bad call,it relieves stresses that unchecked would cause major damage and loss of life.
Microquakes or not,I still make sure to have emergency supplies available against the day when zee beeg one does start.People might laugh at the survivial nut,but if they need it,I'll still share.

[ullrichk]

I haven't heard a reference to "choir practice" in years! LOL

All's quiet now on the midwestern fault - it's just hurricanes and humidity now.