(CNN) -- A magnitude-5.2 earthquake, centered 131 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri, shook southern Illinois early Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

There were few reports of damage immediately after the predawn quake, which struck at 4:36 a.m. (5:36 a.m. ET), but CNN affiliate WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky, showed footage of rubble left in a street after a cornice fell off a brick building there.

The epicenter of the earthquake was about three miles below ground, six miles northwest of Mount Carmel, Illinois, and 38 miles north-northwest of Evansville, Indiana, according to the USGS.


People as far north as southern Michigan and as far west as Des Moines, Iowa, reported feeling the quake, according to The Associated Press. Map »

Air traffic was halted for an hour at Indianapolis International Airport while the control tower was evacuated, CNN affiliate WRTV-TV in the Indiana city reported.

At least 30 people reported feeling the quake in Clarksville, Tennessee -- 227 miles south of the epicenter -- according to the USGS Web site.

Buildings swayed in Chicago's Loop and people were shaken awake in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the AP reported.

People as far away as southwest Michigan and northeast Georgia e-mailed CNN to say they felt the tremor.

"It shook our house where it woke me up," David Behm of Philo, Illinois, told the AP. "Windows were rattling, and you could hear it. The house was shaking inches. For people in central Illinois, this is a big deal. It's not like California."

Radio talk-show host George Noory said he felt the quake in his St. Louis home.

"Everything shook," Noory said. "I thought the building was going to collapse."
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Bonnie Lucas, who hosts a morning show at WHO-AM in Des Moines, told the AP she felt her chair move for five seconds.

The USGS said the largest historical earthquake in the region -- magnitude 5.4 -- shook southern Illinois in 1968

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/18/illinois.earthquake/


I was up early this morning, chatting in the UM general chat when my house started shaking and couldn't believe an earthquake was hitting my boring old hometown . It wasn't until I watched the morning news did I find out it indeed was. I live in Northern Indiana and my whole house trembled for a few minutes!

lol, u sure pick rdm times to be on the computer... who the heck wakes up at 8 o'clock?

Ah, i was awake for this, I had been awake playing Counter Strike Source all night and i felt the slightest shaking, i didnt think it was much until one of my friends who lives in Indiana said "Holy Sh*t I think i just felt an earthquake"

Was pretty amazing, earthquakes in the midwest are too common.


Sol

I slept right through it >_<

i thought it was supposed to be UFO's

http://www.unexplained-mysteries.com/forum...howtopic=123804

I did also Deva, it upset me so. I totally think it'd be awesome to experience one of those. The only evidence that we even had an earthquake was my dvd player falling back against my wall (which i think that's where it normally sits). We have a family of 8 and not a single one of them woke up for the, apparently three, earthquakes.

Some news report are saying it was felt all the way to Alabama. But I didn't hear where in Alabama. Do anyone here know what county in Alabama it ended at? Just wondering.

I don't know why but I thought of that too. There was a report of a UFO in Indy this last week.

I suppose you should feel lucky you didn't feel the majority of the quake right Agapo? See that's what you get for mocking my muffins lol. There are never any earthquakes in Northern Michigan.