News: 5.2 earthquake rocks Illinois; also felt in Ohio

By WKYC Assignment Desk Editor Russ Simeone

A 5.2 earthquake in Illinois has rocked people awake as far away as Indiana and Ohio, surprising residents unaccustomed to such a large temblor in the Midwest. The U.S. Geological Survey downgraded the magnitude of the earthquake from 5.4 to 5.2 mid-morning Friday.


The calls came from a number of different cities, including Lakewood, Rocky River, Solon, Akron, Copley and Willard. Channel 3 News has received comments from viewers comparing the effect to that caused by extremely high winds.

The quake while centered southern Illinois was felt as far away as Milwaukee, 350 miles to the north. Skyscrapers shook in Chicago's Loop, 240 miles north of the epicenter, and in Indianapolis, 160 miles to the northeast. People in Cincinnati and St. Louis also felt the earth shake.

A resident of Philo, Illinois, south of Champaign, says the house was shaking and the windows were rattling. And he says for central Illinois, it was "a big deal." There are no reports of any injuries or significant damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey says this morning's quake happened in a region known as the Illinois basin-Ozark dome, which does not usually get quakes. The biggest on record, also a 5.4, happened in 1968.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
*Ohio Seismic Network
*US Geological Survey

VIDEO FEATURES:
*To watch a report from Chris Tye: CLICK HERE
*To watch a report from Bill Safos: CLICK HERE
*To watch wrap coverage from WKYC's 6 PM Newscast on 4/18/08: CLICK HERE

*Caught on Tape: To watch video of the quake during a morning broadcast: CLICK HERE

YOUR SAY:
*If you felt the quake here in Northeast Ohio: CLICK HERE