Montana quake felt across Washington, Idaho too
12:05 AM PDT on Tuesday, July 26, 2005
By kgw.com, NWCN and AP staff HELENA, Montana -- A magnitude-5.6 earthquake struck southwestern Montana on Monday night, rattling windows and shaking buildings, but there were no immediate reports of any serious damage or injuries. Resources
USGS Earthquake Information
The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered about 23 miles northwest of Dillon and occured about 9:10 p.m. Pacific time. Residents across a wide swath of Montana, Idaho and Washington reported feeling the temblor.
In Montana it was felt as far north as Helena, about 120 miles away, and Great Falls, more than 200 miles to the north. The quake was noticed as far east as Billings, 250 miles from Dillon.
In addition, callers to Northwest Cable News reported they felt the quake throughout the region in locations such as Moscow, Idaho, and Colville and Mead, in Eastern Washington. One caller from Yakima, Wash., reported seeing lamps swaying in her home.
Some Montana residents reported two distinct tremors, several seconds apart, lasting about eight to 10 seconds in all.
Bud Revious, the deputy response coordinator for the state Disaster and Emergency Services office in Helena, said officials there were busy monitoring the state's scattered wildfires when the office shook.
"We thought maybe we were having one of those microbursts like we had a couple weeks ago, but we looked around and there was no wind," he said.
In Dillon, Beaverhead County Commissioner Mike McGinley said there were reports of broken glass and other minor damage, but nothing significant. Revious said there were no immediate reports from elsewhere in Montana of any serious damage or injuries either.
The USGS categorized the earthquake as "moderate," saying initial reports showed it occurred about 25 miles underground. But the USGS later said the quake was at a much more shallow depth -- only about 3 miles below the surface.