Earthquake Rattles Chicago Area

Chicago - An earthquake has occurred in the west suburbs near Geneva early Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

At 3:59 a.m. an earthquake of a preliminary magnitude of 4.3 hit an area about five miles east of Sycamore, or about 4 miles west/northwest from Virgil, according to USGS geophysicist Amy Vaughan.

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• People Describe Feeling the Earthquake
• Send videos of any damage at your house or business to foxchicagovideo@gmail.com . Make sure to include your name, phone number and location.

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After new information came in regarding the quake, its magnitude was recalculated to a 3.8, according to USGS earthquake analyst Don Blakeman.

As of 8 a.m., Blakeman had not received any reports of damage or injuries.

"With the size of the earthquake I won't suspect substantial damage," he said.

The quake occurred 48 miles west/northwest of the city, 22 miles from DeKalb, according to a Web site for the USGS and Vaughan also said the quake was located near west suburban Elgin or Geneva.

Vaughan also said she has not heard of anyone being injured and does not know about damages as of 4:20 a.m. The quake appears to be is bona fide.

“We have it as a seismic event,’’ according to Vaughan who said their phone lines are flooded.

“It’s mostly people who said ‘we woke up and we thought we were going crazy,’’’ Vaughan said of the calls. “Mostly it’s rattling people awake,’’ she said of the earthquake. “It’s going to be very widely felt,’’ Vaughan said.

Jack Barry, Asst. Managing Editor of Interactive Media at the Chicago Sun-Times who lies in Glen Ellyn, said he was already up at the time of the quake because his wife had just let out the family dog.

“I felt the bed shake and she felt the house shake when she was in the back room, watching the dog outside,’’ Barry said.

A dispatcher from the Boone County Sheriff's Department said she felt two quiet rumbles which lasted 10 seconds altogether. As of 4:30 a.m., she had not received any calls from people hurt or significant property damage caused by the earthquake.

Sycamore Police Department Dep. Laura Fink said she received lots of calls about the quake but that there were no reports of anyone hurt or any significant property damage.

Fink said she felt the quake in police headquarters. "It sounded like a big explosion," she said. "There was a big jump."
Fink said the quake happened about eight miles northeast of where she was.

At 4 a.m., Nathan Marsili a meteorologist for the National Weather Service said he felt a "very short, very minor, but distinct shock" in his office.

Winnebago County Sheriff Sgt. Aaron Booker said when he heard the quake he thought it was thunder."I felt the whole building shake," Booker said.

Booker said Winnebago County, which is headquartered in Rockford, is about 25-30 miles away from the occurrence, he said.

"It lasted 10-15 seconds. It was a pretty good shake," Booker said.

As of 4:45 a.m., Booker had not received any reports of injuries or property damage, but was receiving a lot of 9-1-1 calls asking if they felt it.

Police News Affairs Officer Ronald Gaines confirmed the quake, saying it occurred in DeKalb, and said he has not received any reports of injuries or damages as of 4:30 a.m. Gaines said he did not feel it at police headquarters, 3510 S. Michigan Ave. on the South Side.

Naperville released a statement reminding people to prepare for earthquakes:

"Shortly after 4 a.m., the City of Naperville and the surrounding region experienced a minor earthquake. Initial reports indicate the epicenter of the tremor is located just east of DeKalb. City of Naperville Police and Fire personnel have been surveying the city and there are currently no reports of damages or injuries.

“The safety of our residents remains our top priority,” said Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Joe Henderson. “Typically, earthquakes rarely happen in Illinois, but we should always be prepared. This is why it is important to have an emergency preparedness kit and have a family plan in place.”

"For more information on how to prepare an emergency kit and other emergency preparedness information, please visit the city's Web site at www.naperville.il.us/nema.aspx ."