Magnitude 4.3 earthquake rattles Oregon city with moderate shaking reported
According to the USGS, the earthquake caused moderate shaking for residents in the area, with a chance of very light damage.
Why earthquakes are felt differently in the US
While you may think quakes are a western US problem, some of the largest temblors in US history have happened in the East.
THE TAKEAWAY
- A magnitude 4.3 earthquake rattled a small city in Oregon this morning.
- It produced moderate shaking.
- There is a 6% chance of an aftershock within the next week.
WALLOWA COUNTY, Ore. – A small city in Oregon was shaken by a magnitude 4.3 earthquake this morning.
Joseph, Oregon, is the area where the earthquake occurred at 7:41 am UTC.
According to the USGS, the earthquake caused moderate shaking for residents in the area, with a chance of very light damage.
There is a 6% chance of an aftershock within the next week.
Earthquakes have long been recognized as one of Oregon's major natural hazards since the late 1980s.
MAJOR MAGNITUDE 7.0 EARTHQUAKE STRIKES REMOTE REGION OF CHINA, SHAKING REPORTED
The snow-capped mountains of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest are seen behind homes in Wallowa County of eastern Oregon on May 11, 2023. Oregon has not elected a Republican governor in 40 years. Yet it is very divided: in the last midterm elections in November, only six out of 36 counties voted Democratic, but they are the most populous and they consistently win. In the very rural east of the state, many voters are tired of being dispossessed by the urban elite close to the Pacific coast. To ward off fate, an unusual idea emerged: what if we moved the border, to create a "Greater Idaho" encompassing half of Oregon? Of the 15 counties in the eastern part, 11 have already voted to force their local officials to regularly discuss the modalities of a hypothetical secession. On May 16, the Wallowa court is due to vote on a similar measure.
(Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images)
The most common earthquakes in the state are crustal earthquakes, which occur along faults or breaks in the planet's crust, at shallow depths of 6 to 12 miles below the surface.
STRONG MAGNITUDE 6.1 EARTHQUAKE RATTLES JAPANESE COAST NEAR TOKYO
According to officials, residents as far as Kamiah, Idaho, felt weak shaking from this earthquake.