Magnitude 3.4 Earthquake Hits DeKalb County: USGS | Top News

CHICAGO (NBC) – A magnitude 3.4 earthquake struck Monday morning near Somonauk, Illinois, a small town in DeKalb County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

“Information for those who woke up a short while ago to their homes shaking, there was a 3.4 magnitude earthquake northwest of Somonauk,” the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook at 3:14 a.m.

The quake struck about 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) northwest of Somonauk at about 2:53 a.m. Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. While there were no reports of damage, the quake may have been felt in parts of the Chicago area in the western suburbs, including Yorkville and Oswego.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security said Illinois is “at risk from two major seismic zones,” including the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone and the New Madrid Seismic Zone.

“The Wabash Valley region is located between southeastern Illinois and southwestern Indiana,” the bureau said. “The Wabash Valley region is located in the central Mississippi Valley and includes parts of Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee. Over any 50-year period, there is a 25% to 40% chance of an earthquake of magnitude 6.0 or greater occurring in this seismic zone.”

Most of Illinois' earthquakes occur in the southern half of the state near the famous New Madrid fault line. This fault system has caused some of the most powerful earthquakes in U.S. history, temporarily reversing the flow of the Mississippi River and causing tremors felt as far away as Washington, D.C.

Contrary to popular belief, there are fault systems in northern Illinois as well, including the “Sandwich Fault Zone” that runs from DeKalb to Dixon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Another fault known as the Peruvian Monoclinic Fault runs from Dixon to the southeast and crosses the western parts of LaSalle County.

There is a fault zone north of Chicago in the area known as the Des Plaines Fault Zone, but that area has not caused significant seismic activity.

When was the last earthquake in Illinois?

On average, Illinois experiences five earthquakes a year, but experts say we don't usually feel them.

In March, Illinois experienced a magnitude 2.8 earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The quake was recorded north of Germantown, Illinois, a small town in Clinton County, part of the Metro East area outside St. Louis.

In 2023, the state experienced two earthquakes, according to officials: One was a “mild” 3.2-magnitude quake in southern Illinois. The other was a 3.6-magnitude quake, which was rated as the strongest to hit northern Illinois in years.

When was the strongest earthquake in Illinois?

On November 15, 2023, the USGS reported a magnitude 3.6 earthquake at 4:42 a.m. Wednesday with its epicenter in Standard, Illinois.

Standard is located in Putnam County, about 100 miles southwest of Chicago.

According to a quake map compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey, residents of Ottawa, Streeter, Pontiac and Springfield may have felt the impact. Some residents of Aurora and DeKalb County also reported feeling the impact.

This earthquake turned out to be the strongest to hit northern Illinois in years.

The title of the strongest earthquake in the northern part of the state belongs to Lockport, which recorded a 5.1 magnitude quake in May 1909.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, this is the only earthquake ever recorded in Will County.

In total, only eight earthquakes were recorded in the Chicago area:

May 26, 1909: Magnitude 5.1 earthquake 3 km W of Lockport. (Will County)

January 2, 1912: 4.5 magnitude earthquake 2 km west of Lisbon. (Kendall County)

September 9, 1985: A magnitude 3.0 earthquake struck 3 km south of Lombard. (Dupage County)

February 10, 2010: 3.8 magnitude earthquake 2 km NW of Lily Lake (Qin County)

January 31, 2012: A magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck 1 km southwest of Lakemore. (Lake, McHenry)

June 10, 2013: A magnitude 2.6 earthquake struck 4 km NE of Virgil. (Kane County)

November 4, 2013: A 3.2 magnitude earthquake struck 1 km south of Lyons. (Cook County)

March 25, 2015: A magnitude 2.9 earthquake struck 3 km WNW of Lake Hills. (McHenry County)

The strongest earthquake ever recorded centered in Illinois occurred in November 1968, when a 5.3 magnitude quake was recorded near the city of Norris, in the southeastern part of the state.

This story first appeared on NBC Chicago.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos