6.5 magnitude earthquake reported in forest land near central Idaho
Mar 31, 2020, 6:23 PM | Updated: 6:46 pm
USGS maps show people reported feeling the 6.5 magnitude earthquake from 80 miles away.
BOISE, Idaho — The US Geological Survey reported a 6.5 magnitude earthquake just before 6 p.m. Tuesday, on national forest land in central Idaho.
Idaho earthquake felt in seven states
The quake was centered in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, 78 miles northeast of Boise. Residents of Boise reported feeling the shaking. So did residents of Twin Falls and Rexburg, Idaho, at opposite ends of the state. Residents of far-flung Spokane, Washington and Bozeman, Montana also reported feeling the tremors.
According to Boise residents, the shaking lasted 20 to 30 seconds. There were no immediate reports of damage in the city.
“Boise, yes you did feel an #earthquake,” Mayor Lauren McLean tweeted Tuesday night. “City officials are checking all our facilities and public safety officers are conducting structural checks downtown and in our neighborhoods.”
Earthquakes in Idaho history
Idaho’s last strong earthquake, in 1983, was a magnitude 6.9 quake that killed two people in Challis, a small town near that event’s epicenter. The 1983 temblor damaged buildings there, crumbling bricks and sending them falling. At this writing, no one in Challis or other nearby towns reported any damage from the current quake, though they are farther from the epicenter this time.
A M6.5 earthquake just happened in Idaho this evening, northeast of Boise. https://t.co/Auf1fUTtW3
@USGS website is not showing aftershocks yet, but you should expect them. The largest aftershock to the average M6.5 is M5.3. Half have aftershocks even bigger than this— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) April 1, 2020
As with a 5.7 magnitude earthquake that struck near Salt Lake City on March 18, seismologists say aftershocks are to be expected in the days to come for Idaho – some of them strong.
This story will be updated.
Related information:
What to do during an earthquake: Here’s what the experts say
How to prepare home and family for an earthquake
