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Second earthquake in 6 months rattles area
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
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Three miles underground just north of Lake Loramie in Shelby County, some rocks did a little horizontal slide over the Anna-Champaign fault, and the earth danced a little jig for miles around Monday evening, Sept. 29, said Michael Hansen, coordinator of the Ohio Seismic Network.
Bob Blake and his wife were in different rooms of their New Bremen home watching television at 9:06 p.m. when they felt the rumble and heard a loud bang.
"We immediately thought of a tree in our backyard that was damaged by the windstorm and thought it might have fallen over on the house," Blake said.
Others who felt the mild earthquake, 2.8 on the Richter scale, described hearing the bang along with rumbles, knocks and howls from nervous pets.
Hansen said it is common for minor earthquakes to begin with a booming sound. He said the noise occurs with fast-moving waves of force created by the movement of rock masses underground break through the surface of the soil and trigger vibrations in the air.
Hansen said the earthquake was over quickly and apparently did no damage. That's common for a mild quake.
The Ohio Seismic Network, a consortium of 25 volunteer seismology monitoring stations mostly at universities around the state, keeps records of all the quakes that can be felt in the state.
The network's record show most recent earthquakes originating in Ohio have occurred around Lake Erie in northeast Ohio. But sizable earthquakes have struck western Ohio, particularly in Shelby, Logan, Mercer, Auglaize, Champaign and Allen counties.
Carla Johnson who lives well south of Monday's epicenter said her house shook and she also heard the bang Monday night, but her family didn't think it was an earthquake.
"We thought there was a bad car wreck the way people drive out here on the country roads," Johnson said. "This one was mild compared to the one back in the early 1980s. All the windows in the house shook then, and it lasted a little longer, too."
The last time many residents of western Ohio last felt an earthquake was early on the morning of April 18. Hansen said that quake was much more severe, a magnitude of 5.2, but it was centered in Illinois so the effect in the Miami Valley was minor.
Hansen said a major earthquake is possible in the Dayton area thanks to the New Madrid fault around New Madrid, Missouri, the center of a quake zone that runs through western Ohio.
"That zone created three big earthquakes in Ohio in the 1800s, but they didn't do much damage because not that many people were living here at the time," Hansen said. "If one of those were to happen with all the development and population we have now, it would be a different story."
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2395 or jcummings@DaytonDailyNews.com.
Comments
By HometownGirl
October 2, 2008 11:53 AM | Link to this
Yes, an earthquake can cause a boom or a loud banging sound. Especially one that is just a jolt and not the rolling waves of movement that we experience in a California earthquake. The boom or banging that people heard is natural for a small, jolting earthquake.
HometownGirl living in SoCal
By HometownGirl
October 2, 2008 11:51 AM | Link to this
Yes, an earthquake can cause a boom or a loud banging sound. Especially one that is just a jolt and not the rolling waves of movement that we experience in a California earthquake. The boom or banging that people heard is natural for a small, jolting earthquake. I am familiar with the area where the quake happened - these people do not make things up! Go Bucks!
HometownGirl living in SoCal
By Helpful
October 1, 2008 3:12 PM | Link to this
Carol, it’s quoted in the story:
Hansen said it is common for minor earthquakes to begin with a booming sound. He said the noise occurs with fast-moving waves of force created by the movement of rock masses underground break through the surface of the soil and trigger vibrations in the air.
By N Alexander
September 30, 2008 11:13 PM | Link to this
The boom would make sense in the regards that once the waves hit the air surface they would cause movement, kind of like from thunder, but more like a large speaker. Once the wave hits, the air is moving more and wouldn’t make additional sounds.
Ohio quakes are not like Calif. quakes. Since our bedrock is more solid, (the rim of fire’s quakes break the ground up more) the waves travel farther with less degradation.
By Carol Stull
September 30, 2008 5:06 PM | Link to this
I live in Maria Stein Ohio. Monday night, at home with my two dogs around 9:00 PM I heard and felt a tremendous explosion, my house shook and my dogs were frightened. I was sure something had exploded very close to my house. What caused the explosion? I have never heard of an earthquake making a sound.
By Carol Stull
September 30, 2008 4:39 PM | Link to this
Well there was a tremendous explosion in Maria Stein Ohio Sept. 29th at approximately 9:05 PM. I heard the explosion and my house shook. I heard on the 11:00 PM news that there was an earthquake. Please explain what the explosion was!
By XOH
September 30, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
I live in CA, never have I heard any kind of boom. The boom may have been thunder.
By Albert
September 30, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
There is no BOOM with an earthquake. Seriously you think the earth is going to BOOM… sorry folks not believing that one. I’vve experienced West Coast earthquakes and never heard any kind of BOOM. The last one I was in was a 6.8 in Seattle in 2001, no BOOM there and it was much larger than your dinky 2.9.
By Albert
September 30, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
There is no BOOM with an earthquake. Seriously you think the earth is going to BOOM… sorru folks not believing that one. I’vve experienced West Coast earthquakes and never heard any kind of BOOM. The last one I was in was a 6.8 in Seattle in 2001, no BOOM there and it was much larger than your dinky 2.9.
By Eric
September 30, 2008 3:19 PM | Link to this
Live near Celina and naptune heard a lard bang like someone had slamed a door and the whole house shook- the phone fell over on the desk.
By joyful1
September 30, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this
LOL, Marc Mc! Gotta love the power of chili!
By Marc Mc
September 30, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this
I was outside of my house when I felt a tremendous jolt! Then a series of shakes and tremors. Birds fell from the sky from the incredible shock waves. Then, right before me the ground opened up and swallowed my house and cars. Come on …2.9!!!!!!!! I had bean chili 3 days ago and created a 3.1!
By Marc Mc
September 30, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this
I was outside of my house when I felt a tremendous jolt! Then a series of shakes and tremors. Birds fell from the sky from the incredible shock waves. Then, right before me the ground opened up and swallowed my house and cars. Come on …2.9!!!!!!!! I had bean chili 3 days ago and created a 3.1!
By Marc Mc
September 30, 2008 12:47 PM | Link to this
I was outside of my house when I felt a tremendous jolt! Then a series of shakes and tremors. Birds fell from the sky from the incredible shock waves. Then, right before me the ground opened up and swallowed my house and cars. Come on …2.9!!!!!!!!
By Sally
September 30, 2008 12:17 PM | Link to this
I was reading and heard the big boom. Went outside thinking a tree had fallen on the house. Nothing. My neighbor called and I told her I thought it was an earthquake. I remember the one in the 1980’s. Then we got a little rain.
By Sheron
September 30, 2008 11:43 AM | Link to this
I live in Springfield. I heard a knocking noise around 9:00pm or so. I thought it was either my son or husband. But they said it wasn’t then. Checked to see if someone was knocking on our door. Nothing. It wasn’t until this morning that we realized it was probably the windows rattling from the earthquake.
By Smiths
September 30, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this
New Bremen: My husband & I were in the living room when we heard the loud BOOM & the walls, windows, & whole house rattled. What was that? My husband assumed it was thunder, but I felt it was an explosion. We both went outside. We couldn’t see smoke or fire in any direction. There were a few stars in the sky, then several minutes later there was lightning flashing in the western sky. We had no clue, until Walter (New Bremen’s human news reporter) called us & told us of the earthquake.
By Lisa
September 30, 2008 9:54 AM | Link to this
We are in New Knoxville and both the Hubby and I were watching TV. We both felt the rumblein’ wave, but we didn’t hear any boom. We knew it was a ‘quake right away since we have had other earthquakes in this area before. This one was smaller than others we have experienced.
By Steve of Capitola
September 30, 2008 9:46 AM | Link to this
I don’t think I could feel a 2.9 earthquake. Living in California, we don’t notice anything under a 4.0 unless we are sitting still.
By wadea26
September 30, 2008 9:37 AM | Link to this
I’ve been in earthquakes before and have never heard of them making a bang. Interesting…
By CV
September 30, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this
We have 3 Olde English Bulldogs and THEY each felt “something” because they all started whinning and whimpering at the same time. I thought they had knocked something over or a tree had fallen. It was just a sudden jolt then it was over. Still scary though.
By Christa
September 30, 2008 9:13 AM | Link to this
We have 3 Olde English Bulldogs and THEY each felt “something” because they all started whinning and whimpering at the same time. I thought they had knocked something over or a tree had fallen. It was just a sudden jolt then it was over. Still scary though.
By ukgirl
September 30, 2008 8:31 AM | Link to this
we live 2 miles west of Honda engine plant. The house shook and we heard the loud bang! Thought there was a bad car wreck the way people drive out here on the country roads. This one was mild compared to the one back in the eary 1980’s…all the windows in the house shook then and lasted a little longer too.
By MD
September 30, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this
We live 4 miles West of Sidney near Hardin. Our dog was acting very skittish right around 9 PM. My husband heard the bang and thought I had done something…typical man.
By Minster family
September 30, 2008 8:02 AM | Link to this
Our children just went to bed and were frightened by the loud bang, shaking the walls, trophies and house. All of us heard the loud bang then ground rumbles heading to the west. First thoughts..oh crap what was that???a earthquake..or..Dannon aside of us dropped a large piece of construction equipment..thunder..or freight train ground rumbles,sinking into the dry earth cracks….looked at clock at 9:10. when all the neighbors came outside, we voted that it was an earthquake.
By Allan
September 30, 2008 7:36 AM | Link to this
Live in Saint Mary’s. I was watching the Ronald Reagan special on PBS and writing a paper for school. Was storming outside when the house shook. The wife thought a car hit the house or something. I looked down at my laptop and kept on typing. Told here it was just the storm. She said thunder doesn’t rattle the dishes. So, I got up and looked around outside to appease her. I didn’t see anything out of place so I told her not to worry about it. Then, first thing this morning on the Dayton
By William Gibbs
September 30, 2008 7:30 AM | Link to this
I felt it. I live just south of Anna, about at the epicenter. A very brief jolt, although I did not notice the loud bang.
By Robert Weaver
September 30, 2008 7:04 AM | Link to this
Didnt feel a thing. Was playing Poker at the Legion in Minster, and those guys are rumbling all the time, especially Joe Baumer
By Bob
September 30, 2008 6:39 AM | Link to this
My wife and I live in New Bremen. We were in different rooms of the house watching television when we felt a rumble and heard an extremely loud bang. It jolted both of us up to look and see if something had happened to the other and if something had fallen over. We immediately thought of a tree in our backyard that was damaged by the windstorm and thought it might have fallen over on the house.
By MrsP
September 30, 2008 6:37 AM | Link to this
We are in Minster too and felt and heard it. It was like one of the kids knocked over the dresser upstairs….whole house shook for just a second
By The Meyer's
September 30, 2008 6:25 AM | Link to this
We had just went to bed, I asked my husband what was that, he laughed said he thought it was me. Then said must have been an earthquate! We live at Grand Lake St. Marys, our son called from Minster, he felt it also and heard the loud noice, thought someone hit his house. We heard nothing.
By L Davis
September 30, 2008 3:30 AM | Link to this
Live in Minster, and we felt it, and heard it. It was loud. It sounded like it was in my backyard. My first thought was what did the kids knock over, and then we all ran outside to see what it was. My husband kept saying it was an earthquake, and the kids and I thought maybe it was thunder, because imediately after that, we were seeing lightning and hearing small thunder, then it rained. Then we checked downstairs to make sure nothing had fallen.
By John
September 30, 2008 2:01 AM | Link to this
fairborn at the back of WSU, power’s out again in the house around ours. we somehow survived. earthquake is nothing~
By homer92630
September 30, 2008 12:14 AM | Link to this
Didn’t feel a thing. Of course, we’re 2400 miles away in Sunny Southern California; where the earth shakes every day. Rock-n-Roll