Earthquake Makes Long Distance Shakes

Last night's earthquake in the uncommon location of Illinois left some wondering, could an earthquake happen here in Lincoln?

The US Geological Survey is calling last nights earthquake “fairly large.” 

One UNL official today said something similar happening here is not totally out of the question.

With much of the midwest asleep for the night, the earth shook them from their slumber.

The earthquake was centered in Illinois but people as far away as Ohio and Kentucky say they felt the tremors.

There were even some unconfirmed reports of people right here in Lincoln feeling the jolts.

Dr. Matt Joeckel from UNL's school of natural resources says there is no way to know for sure if the quake is what those people felt, but what is certain is that Nebraska may not be in the clear from future shakes.

There's no record of when the last time Nebraska shook because of that fault line.

Joeckel says there is a better chance of the area being affected by floods or tornadoes, but it's important to know what to do if the ground grumbles.

Cover your head, get as close to the ground as possible and shelter under something heavy and solid like a table or a desk.

Researchers know very little about that fault near I-80, but there's no way of knowing when or if it will move.