(OPINION) – Since we live near the New Madrid Fault, it’s normal to have earthquakes in our region. However, there was an earthquake that was felt by many that just happened in a weird part of Illinois.

According to the USGS, there was a 2.6 earthquake, but it wasn’t in the normal area near New Madrid. It was in the southeastern part of the state. This relatively tiny shaker occurred at 1:40 am early Wednesday morning, but was felt by 18 as of this writing.

Along with the non-typical location, it’s odd to me that a quake of only 2.6 magnitude would actually be felt in the middle of the night. A quake that small would be hard to detect even in the middle of the day if you were wide awake.

It’s close enough to what the USGS considers the New Madrid Fault Zone that it’s likely related to activity there. However, it’s just strange enough to pass along in case it’s the forerunner of something more major. READ MORE