Small earthquake shakes Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky

The Associated Press

A minor earthquake sent trembles over parts of Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and western Kentucky on Thursday night.

A preliminary measurement indicated it was a magnitude-3.5 quake, according to Bruce Presgrave, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center.

Presgrave said the quake was considered minor, and was unlikely to produce any damage. None had been reported by Friday morning.

"We really haven't had many phone calls at all. Just a couple inquiries from the weather service," Presgrave said. "Apparently it wasn't felt very strongly."

The quake occurred at 10:25 p.m. Thursday. The epicenter was about 10 miles south of Cairo, Ill., in Mississippi County, Mo.

Mississippi County deputy sheriff Thomas Lowe said he didn't feel anything at the sheriff's office in Charleston, but he said authorities had received calls from Wyatt, about six miles to the east, about some shaking.