At around 5:30 EST this morning, Shelley and I were awakened by what I thought to be the cats romping and wrestling under the bed. After fully assessing the situation, we quickly realized (after hearing the glasses in the kitchen rattling) that we must have just experience an earthquake.

Holly shit! My first earthquake! I know this isn’t much for people used to this type of activity, but it was quite unnerving for rookies like us.

It was confirmed on the news this morning that a magnitude 5.2 was recorded in southwest Illinois. The origin was 177 miles away. You can see more info on the following government website USGS. Look for the big box in the middle of the country…that’s it. And after further investigation regarding the earthquake potential in our area, I was shocked to find out that there is a considerable fault line that runs throughout the Midwest (see here). You can also find additional information with this informative document.

Update – Another tremor (4.5) was recorded near the same origin at 11:15 this morning. This time I was at work and did not feel the effects.