Earthquake, aftershock felt all over Michiana

by Dustin Grove (grove@wsbt.com)

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Earthquake in Illinois

Tim Kusky, director of the Center for Environmental Sciences at Saint Louis University, discusses seismic data displayed on a computer screen in the university's earthquake center Friday, April 18, 2008, in St. Louis. Residents across the Midwest were awakened Friday by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake centered six miles from West Salem, Ill., that shook buildings for hundreds of miles around. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

By Beth Boehne

SOUTH BEND — You may be one of the many around our area who got an unexpected wake up call early Friday morning. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake centered near West Salem, Ill. struck at 5:37 a.m., and a 4.5 magnitude aftershock hit at 11:14 a.m.

In Louisville, Ky. a street had to be blocked off after debris fell from a building. A road was also closed in St. Louis after debris fell from a viaduct, but there have been no reports of injuries.

About 15 miles from the epicenter a woman was trapped in her home after her porch collapsed. And at Vincennes University in southern Indiana dorms were evacuated Friday morning as a precaution.

Both the earthquake and aftershock have been felt across our area, from St. Joseph and Benton Harbor in the north to Warsaw and Rochester in the south.

WSBT staff felt it during the newscast Friday morning, and we received hundreds of phone calls and e-mails right after the earthquake occurred.

The earthquake woke up Cinder Grant, who just moved to South Bend from Los Angeles and thought she was finished with earthquakes.

“I felt the jerk and I thought, ‘Is that a tornado? Wouldn't I be hearing sirens? What should I do?’” she told WSBT News.

“I just went into the living room and said, 'We had an earthquake!” and he said, ‘No!’” said Zora Littler of her husband.

“I didn't believe her, then I heard it on the news!” laughed her husband.

That was the reaction from a lot of people. They weren't sure if it was indeed a quake that they felt, until they saw it or heard about it on the news Friday morning.

Tuesday, Apr 22 at 12:53 PM ? MI wrote ...

did anyone notice movement on an inland lake, were they on the water?

Tuesday, Apr 22 at 8:28 AM kylie wrote ...

i slept through the quake. everyone felt it but me! i wonder if we'll have another one anytime soon..

Tuesday, Apr 22 at 4:11 AM peggy sue march wrote ...

IM Sceeeeeerd!

Sunday, Apr 20 at 2:02 PM Lisa wrote ...

I also slept through it.. My dog must have to or I just didnt hear him barking! (from Niles)

Saturday, Apr 19 at 11:01 PM cheryl wrote ...

Funny, a couple of weeks ago at the same time in the morning in Indianapolis I woke to the same rattling of the walls and pictures, only to thing it was the longest sound of rumbling I had ever heard...hmmm after mentioning this at work,others people had told me they witnessed same experience. Never heard anything about it otherwise.

Saturday, Apr 19 at 9:00 PM A little Shaking going on! wrote ...

Wow, this is exciting because no one got hurt and there was really no damage to report. A little shaking going on in the midwest!

Saturday, Apr 19 at 6:54 PM Lisa wrote ...

I was sitting outside in my yard till around 10pm that night and the birds just kept chirping like it was pre-dawn or something, I thought it was weird now I know why. Also, my dog must have felt the quake that we totally slept through because when I got up he was frantically turning circles in his cage till I let him out. I did feel the aftershock though at work. weird feeling.

Friday, Apr 18 at 9:36 PM Mr. Syence wrote ...

What a beautiful full moon we have out there tonight! I'll bet one has to do with the other.

Friday, Apr 18 at 9:23 PM cookie wrote ...

My brother and I were on our way to work in elkhart, we were at the red light by the airport, and the car was shaking i thought it was him, and he thought it was me, ...then when we realized it wasnt one another, we didnt know i said "maybe it was an earthquake"! But I was kidding of course..turns out I was right!

Friday, Apr 18 at 7:14 PM carl wrote ...

My male cat wanted out at 10pm also i think he had a midnite rendevous with todd's cat

Friday, Apr 18 at 5:00 PM renee wrote ...

maybe we sould ask Dr. Who (for Those who don't know it is an ongoing bbc show where he travels threw time.) My husband felt it and said he heard the windows ratteled.

Friday, Apr 18 at 4:52 PM Todd wrote ...

My cat was very instant on wanting to go out at 10PM last night...never seen her be like that before.

Friday, Apr 18 at 4:29 PM me wrote ...

I have a 50 gallon fish tank and all of them were alive last night and then one was mysteraly dead this morning. I live in Michigan City and I felt it this morning. I work in South Bend and didn't feel the aftershock. My mom's dog was going nuts this morning.Birds were singing loudly last night and this morning.

Friday, Apr 18 at 3:56 PM Adam wrote ...

My dog started parking nonstop at 3:30am. I'm kind of wondering if his instincts were kicking in, because he definitely wouldn't quite down while I was trying to sleep.

Friday, Apr 18 at 3:49 PM Heather in Knox wrote ...

This is the second quake I've felt in Indiana. I was about 40 miles away from the epicenter of the earthquake back in 2002. It's just so weird, because you don't really expect quakes in this part of the country.

Friday, Apr 18 at 3:48 PM briana wrote ...

my teacher at school said his door was rattling and his desk was shaking.He thought maybe it was one of his students but then he realized it wasnt..i thought it was pretty cool.my cat fell off my dresser when it hit..haha

Friday, Apr 18 at 3:33 PM P wrote ...

Sounds like the end times!! Get your Bible out!!

Friday, Apr 18 at 2:39 PM Anonymous wrote ...

i work at the hospital in warsaw and being on the top floor we felt the building move back and forth! we had no idea what it was. it was not a good feeling. some of the patients felt their beds moving guests in the lounge thought the pictures were going to fall off the walls!

Friday, Apr 18 at 2:28 PM monique wrote ...

I was just waking up and my bed was shaking so I sat up to see if the dog just jumped on the bed. when i didn't see her, I figured it was a earth quake. I remember that we had one about 20 years ago when I was pregnant with my son.

Friday, Apr 18 at 2:19 PM Bret wrote ...

This is Global Warming's fault!

Friday, Apr 18 at 2:14 PM Shane wrote ...

Wow...I woke up to my lamp falling on my head! We didnt feel the aftershock, hoever. I just now read about it so now I know that it happened! Good job on the coverage WSBT!

Friday, Apr 18 at 2:10 PM williams wrote ...

since this was on the wabash fault will it effect the new madrid fault and do we have an idea of when and of what magnitude

Friday, Apr 18 at 2:07 PM bing bong wrote ...

yeah zetsche, me to or maybe their testing missles in lydik with hillary clinton. or maybe it was bigfoot and he stubbed his toe hahahah

Friday, Apr 18 at 2:04 PM mom in elkhart wrote ...

My mom told me her rat terrier was barking acting like a nut, wantin to go out then not going barking non stop she put him in his kennel cause he was annoying and would not stop. She was waiting for her husband to get home from a cubs game this was also around 11p.m.weird huh? wonder if they heard the ground shifting befor the actual minor quake? anyone else have this experience with an animal?

Friday, Apr 18 at 2:02 PM R. wrote ...

Today is just a wierd day, I just feel out of it, and I dont know if I felt them or not, I just feel off.

Friday, Apr 18 at 1:59 PM Granger mom wrote ...

Last night around 11:15 my cats were acting weird, looking at the ground with their ears forward they definatly heard something. I thought they saw a spider and were watching it thiswent on forever so I got up turned on the light looking for a spider or bug there was none. I figured it was a mouse cause they just kept looking for something..kinda freaked me out never seen them allact like that. they all moved their heads in unison.Wonder if they heard the pre quake movement? 6 hrs.later a quake

Friday, Apr 18 at 1:41 PM Zetsche wrote ...

I think the tremors was a result from underground weapon tests.

Friday, Apr 18 at 1:24 PM JACKIE wrote ...

I work in Winamac and about 11:25 we felt the aftershock.My desk chair was moving under me!!It wasn't as scary since we knew what it was, unlike the wake up call at 5:35 this morning!

Friday, Apr 18 at 1:02 PM Kathy wrote ...

I felt the floor shaking, I thought it was my legs giving way.I was feeding my cats and they took off running into the living room. That is very unusual for them to do that, especially when breakfast is being served.

Friday, Apr 18 at 12:55 PM Penny from Lakeville wrote ...

When the earthquake hit at 5:40, it woke me up. I was sleeping with my back to the door on my waterbed, and it felt like someone had crawled into bed next to me! The water was moving and I knew it wasn't me so I thought maybe there was a prowler or something! (I live alone). When I finally got brave enough to get up, I saw on the news what had happened. That was excitement for me this morning!

Friday, Apr 18 at 12:51 PM Anonymous wrote ...

my question is will we know if this will happen again and when?

Friday, Apr 18 at 12:43 PM mary wrote ...

whats next

Friday, Apr 18 at 12:40 PM Winona Northern wrote ...

I was awaken by the shaking of my bed and windows. I couldn't imagine what was going on until I turned on the T.V.

Friday, Apr 18 at 12:37 PM Anonymous wrote ...

i slept through it so i didn't even know it happened

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