A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck western Montana around 12:30 a.m. Thursday. The shaking was felt as far away as 500 miles (805 kilometers).
Now a swarm of aftershocks continues to hit the same region, southeast of Lincoln and a few hours drive north of Yellowstone.
USGS also reports seven aftershocks all centered in the Lincoln area:
M 4.9 – 11km S of Lincoln, Montana
M 3.1 – 15km SE of Lincoln, Montana
M 3.5 – 12km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
M 3.8 – 13km SE of Lincoln, Montana
M 4.5 – 13km SE of Lincoln, Montana
M 3.9 – 12km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
M 3.5 – 12km SE of Lincoln, Montana
M 4.4 – 11km SSE of Lincoln, Montana
M 3.9 – 21km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
M 2.9 – 13km SE of Lincoln, Montana
M 3.4 – 13km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
M 2.9 – 13km SE of Lincoln, Montana
M 2.5 – 14km SE of Lincoln, Montana
M 3.6 – 13km SE of Lincoln, Montana
M 3.7 – 15km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
As shown in the list below, today’s M5.8 earthquake is the third largest quake recorded in the last century in Montana:
- In August of 1959, a 7.5 quake killed 29 people and did $11 million worth of damage and became the largest earthquake to ever hit Montana.
- In 1935, a series of several hundred quakes hit Helena. The state reports that quake damaged more than half of Helena’s buildings.
- Today’s M5.8 earthquake near Lincoln, Montana
- In 2005, a 5.6 quake rattled Dillon and damages part of the old main hall at the Universtiy of Montana Western.
This is insane and just ater the Yellowstone national park was hit by a swarm of more than 1000 earthquakes.
