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Overnight Earthquake Rattles Kentucky Southeast of Cincinnati, Ohio

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The epicenter of the earthquake was at the orange star inside the colored, concentric circles on this map. Image: USGS
The epicenter of the earthquake was at the orange star inside the colored, concentric circles on this map. Image: USGS

According to USGS, a relatively mild earthquake rattled portions of northeastern Kentucky during the overnight hours in a rural location southeast of Cincinnati, Ohio. The earthquake struck at 12:44 am this morning during the overnight hours from a depth of 10.8 km; it was rated a magnitude 2.5 event and was centered near the town of Flemingsburg, which is also due east of Louisville. While some reported to USGS they felt shaking or heard earthquake noises, there were no reports of damage or injuries nor would one expect any at this magnitude.

Since 1974, there have been more than 4,000 earthquakes near the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Scientists believe a large earthquake here in the future isn't a matter of if but when. Image: USGS
Since 1974, there have been more than 4,000 earthquakes near the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Scientists believe a large earthquake here in the future isn’t a matter of if but when. Image: USGS

USGS says that earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or less are rarely felt or heard by people, but once they exceed 2.0 , more and more people can feel them. While damage is possible with magnitude 3.0 events or greater, significant damage and casualties usually don’t occur until the magnitude of a seismic event rises to a 5.5 or greater rated event.

Today’s earthquake struck outside of the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ), which is an area of significant seismic unrest located near New Madrid, Missouri and western Kentucky. While many earthquakes have rattled western Kentucky by the NMSZ, USGS reports there have been no other earthquakes of any magnitude around today’s epicenter for the last 3 weeks.

According to the Kentucky Geological Survey at the University of Kentucky , earthquakes have occurred in and around Kentucky in the past and continue to occur.  The strongest historic earthquake recorded inside Kentucky’s borders was a magnitude 5.2 Sharpsburg earthquake which struck on  July 27, 1980, in Bath County. The quake caused an estimated $3 million in damage in Maysville. The 4.2 magnitude earthquake in 2012 to strike Perry County  caused minor damage to the Letcher County Courthouse in southeastern Kentucky. The most significant earthquakes to have affected Kentucky occurred from December 1811 to February 1812 in the New Madrid Seismic Zone.