Monday earthquake shakes up Idaho
Claudio Berti, director of the Idaho Geological Survey, was driving from Moscow to Boise for an Idaho Emergency Management Association conference Monday morning when the largest earthquake the state has experienced in nearly a year shook Central Idaho.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude-4.2 quake at 9:32 a.m., originating in Custer County, according to the agency’s website. The reported epicenter was located 16 miles west-northwest of Clayton.
It occurred at a depth of about 7 miles, the USGS said. It was a good reminder, Berti said, that Idaho is not immune to the risks of the natural world.
“Natural beauty is always underlined by some very strong forces that actively shape it,” Bert told the Idaho Statesman by phone. “And sometimes those forces need to be carefully lived with.”
While not large enough to cause much damage, the earthquake would have been felt by those inside structures near the epicenter, according to Berti.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if some of your dust from your beams gets shaken off and you see it falling down or you (hear) a cupboard rattling,” Berti said.
The expert said it’s possible Idahoans living as far away as the outskirts of Boise felt a shake. The Custer County Sheriff’s Office told the Idaho Statesman that it received no immediate reports of injuries or damages.
Berti also warned that aftershocks are common, and Idaho may feel additional earthquakes Monday or over the next few days.
“Every time there is a big earthquake, a series of aftershocks help release that energy that was stored in those rocks,” Berti said.
Idaho has not seen an earthquake of Monday’s size since February 2024, when a magnitude-4.9 earthquake hit near Smiths Ferry, north of Boise. The U.S. Geological Survey did not immediately return the Statesman’s request for more information.