4.0 magnitude earthquake has Lincoln area rattling again
Billings Gazette
HELENA — Less than two weeks after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck the same area, western Montana was rattling again early Monday morning as a result of a 4.0 magnitude temblor centered near Lincoln.
Monday’s quake originated at a depth of about seven miles underground and roughly eight miles southeast of Lincoln at 2:49 a.m., according to preliminary data from the U.S. Geological Survey.
USGS image
Hundreds of people from parts of Montana, Idaho and Washington took to social media and the USGS website to report that they felt Monday’s earthquake, though Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said no damage has been reported so far. People from Deer Lodge and Boulder ranked the intensity as IV, which is described as light shaking with no damage.
That #earthquake woke me up last night! Hoping this isn't leading up to a catastrophic one! #mtquake #Montana
— Amy Savannah (@Amy_Savannah) July 17, 2017
“That #earthquake woke me up last night! Hoping this isn’t leading up to a catastrophic one!” Amy Savannah of Helena tweeted Monday morning.
Though many nearby earthquakes have been recorded since the 5.8 magnitude event early July 6, including tremors with a magnitude of up to 4.9 the same day, Monday’s was the largest to hit the area since then, according to USGS data.
The epicenter of the July 6 quake was about 6 miles south of Lincoln, originating from a depth of nearly 3 miles underground. At least nine more tremors were recorded in the same area within an hour of the initial quake.
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake in western Montana created some messy situations from Lincoln to Helena early Thursday morning. No serious damage has been reported.
Did you experience any destruction, mayhem, or even minor messes due to the earthquake? Send your photos to editor@helenair.com and we’ll share them here.
Lori Aranbarri photo – Liquor bottles that rattled off the shelves are on the floor at the state liquor store in Lincoln after Thursday morning’s earthquake.
The July 6 earthquake was felt from Missoula to Billings and some surrounding states. It knocked items off of walls and shelves as far away as Helena and Missoula, caused a temporary power outage in Lincoln and a gas leak in Helena.
This story will be updated.