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At 4:37 a.m. Friday, April 18, 2008, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake occurred in southeast Illinois. The epicenter was reported to be six miles east of West Salem, Illinois. This location is near the Edwards County and Wabash County line northwest of Mt. Carmel, Illinois. Although there were no official reports of significant damage in Illinois, there were hundreds of reports from local officials and people from Chicago to Cairo indicating that they felt the shaking.
There were more than 20 aftershocks following the earthquake, including one measuring 4.5 and one measuring 4.0.
During the past 40 years there have been two similar earthquakes in Illinois. In November of 1968 there was a 5.3 magnitude that was felt not only statewide but by 23 other states. In June of 1987 a magnitude 5.1 occurred. The most infamous earthquakes impacting the State of Illinois and many other states were between December of 1811 and February of 1812 when three major earthquakes occurred in the New Madrid Fault Zone causing major damage in Southern Illinois and the surrounding area.
Historical Map - Known Seismic Activity in Illinois
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Disaster Preparedness, Response & Recovery
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