M6.5 temblor felt in Sandpoint
This screenshot of the U.S. Geological Survey website shows the epicenter of a series of earthquakes Tuesday evening as well as the contours of the “shakemap.” From the first quake just before 5 p.m. to 9:37 p.m., almost two dozen quakes had been recorded.
SANDPOINT — A Magnitude 6.5 earthquake 45 miles west of Challis was felt in Bonner County on Tuesday afternoon.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the temblor at 23:52:31 Universal Coordinated Time, which was 4:52 p.m. local time at the epicenter.
The earthquake generated 6,308 responses from the public from Idaho, Washington, Montana and Utah, according to the agency’s Community Internet Intensity Map. It had a depth of 10 miles.
A website called Volcano Discovery, citing USGS data, said the quake released an estimated amount of energy equivalent to 84,802 tons of dynamite or 5.3 atomic bombs. The closest volcano to the quake is the Shoshone lava fields near Twin Falls, according to Volcano Discovery.
There were no reports of damage in Bonner County, although comments about the quake lit up social media shortly after 5 p.m.
Crystal Utecht reported started feeling the rocking, which got worse and almost caused her to step outside.
“I experienced the quake here in the 80s, and the one in the 90s. This one was worse,” she said the Daily Bee’s Facebook page.
Magnitude 2.5-3 earthquakes are the smallest generally felt by people. Magnitude 4 can cause moderate damage while a Magnitude 5 can cause considerable damage, according to USGS. A Magnitude 6 can cause severe damage and a Magnitude 7 is considered a major earthquake capable of widespread, heavy damage.
Sarah Johnson said the quake caused some disbelief.
“I was standing in my kitchen with my friends and the world started swaying. I pointed it out to them and even though everything was still moving they didn’t believe me!” Johnson wrote.
Pamela Mulligan was watching television in Sagle when she thought she was having a bout of vertigo and saw her plants swaying.
“Seemed to last a long time,” Mulligan wrote.
Jennifer Lorayne of Priest River said the quake gave her vertigo.
“I’m so done with 2020,” she wrote.
Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.