A 4.0 earthquake centered near Cooter, Mo., was felt by a number of Chester Countians last week, with many reports of a shaking sensation accompanied by a loud thundering sound. The earthquake occurred at 12:59 p.m. Thursday, April 23, erupting from the New Madrid fault line.
While seismic activity isn’t all that unusual at the New Madrid fault line, magnitude usually rates lower on the Richter Scale, falling around the 2-2.5 range, according to EMA Director Brandon Connor.
Historically, New Madrid produced a series of 7.2 to 8.8 scale earthquakes beginning on Dec. 16, 1811 through February 1812.
Go to https://www.ready.gov/earthquakes and https://earthquake.usgs.gov/ to learn more about earthquakes and earthquake preparedness.
