Small earthquake near Valmeyer
An earthquake was felt in Monroe County on Saturday evening.
The U.S. Geological Survey measured a 2.4 earthquake just southwest of Valmeyer at 6 p.m.
Reports of the quake came from surrounding areas, including Festus and Barnhart across the Mississippi River in Missouri.
Reports of the quake came from surrounding areas, including Festus and Barnhart across the Mississippi River in Missouri.
The earthquake’s epicenter was located approximately 2.3 miles south-southwest of Valmeyer. The shallow quake occurred at a depth of 3.1 miles below the surface.
The seismic event was part of the Illinois Basin – Ozark Dome region, which experiences moderate earthquake activity. While less frequent than earthquakes on the West Coast, tremors in this area can typically be felt over broader regions due to differences in geological structure.
The quake occurred near the northern border of the New Madrid seismic zone, a historically active earthquake region. The area’s most significant recorded earthquake was a magnitude 5.4 event in 1968, which caused damage in southern Illinois.
On Jan. 8, an earthquake registering 2.3 occurred just east of Harrisonville near the intersection of B and Harris roads at 5:37 p.m.