Wisconsin Shook by Rare 2.5 Magnitude Earthquake

Residents in northeast Wisconsin were surprised when the earth shook yesterday after the area was hit by an earthquake.

The 2.5 magnitude earthquake happened just after 7 AM on Sunday, January 7th near Mole Lake, Wisconsin which is about 2 hours Northwest of Green Bay. The Forest County Sheriff's Office says that several 911 calls reported "excessive shaking/vibration coming from the ground."

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 2.5 magnitude is rated as a level 3 earthquake which is considered a weak earthquake that would be felt by people, especially indoors and on higher floors, they say it feels a lot like a passing truck.

Earthquakes in Wisconsin are rare, the largest in the state happened in 1947 when a level 5 (moderate) shook a 3,000-square-foot area just south of Milwaukee, that quake was so strong that it broke a seismograph at Marquette University.

The last measurable earthquake in Wisconsin happened near Lola, Wisconsin in 2018, which was a very small 1.5 magnitude quake. The last earthquake that was similar to the latest one was in 2010 when a 4.3 magnitude quake struck 48 miles southwest of Chicago and shook most of Wisconsin.

Earthquakes in Minnesota are also very rare, most of the seismic activity in Minnesota is due to mining explosions, these explosions can often hit 3.0 magnitudes on seismograph machines. The largest earthquake on record for Minnesota happened in 1975 when a 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit near Donnelly, Minnesota.

No damage or injuries were reported due to Sunday's earthquake, but it will surely be a memorable moment for those who felt the quake.