Two quakes rattle parts of Southeast Missouri

Many residents of Butler, Ripley and Carter counties in Missouri felt the earth shake at 3:26 p.m. Friday or heard what sounded like a sonic boom.

The U.S. Geological Survey said it was a 3.4-magnitude earthquake, followed 24 minutes later by a 3.2-magnitude aftershock.

There were no reports of damage, but concerned people called area law enforcement to find out what was going on.

Robbie Myers, director of the Butler County Emergency Management Agency, was told the epicenter was 29 miles west of Poplar Bluff, Missouri, or a few miles west of Grandin, Missouri.

Myers reported a woman, who lives on Butler County Road 450, told a dispatcher at the sheriff's department "it felt like the front porch was going to shake off the house."

Lance Pigg, director of the Ripley County Emergency Management Agency, did not receive damage reports, but people said "it felt like a fairly strong earthquake."

Noah Cross was sitting in his office at Ozark Meats five miles east of Grandin when the tremor occurred.

"I realized the whole place was shaking. I saw the freezer door shaking," Cross said. "I never felt anything like that before."

He did not feel the aftershock, but his wife, Ann, who was in their home 100 yards from their shop, felt the aftershock.

"The whole house shook. The glasses in the cabinet rattled," said Rebeca Pacheco, who lives seven miles northeast of Van Buren, Missouri. "My dog started barking after we heard a boom that was real, real loud."

Pacheco said she had a friend in Grandin that was "really scared."

"There was big boom and the floors shook a bit," said Alan Porter, owner of the Little Black River Cafe in Grandin.

Steve and Carol Lewis, who live near Stringtown on the west edge of Butler County, did not feel the ground shake but heard a boom two times within seconds.

"It sounded like a sonic boom. We thought something had hit the house," Steve said.

Carol said the boom "shook the windows."

Pastor Bill Orr was in his office at Legacy Hospice on the third floor of the Kneibert Clinic in Poplar Bluff.

"All of a sudden, a picture fell off the wall. We didn't know what had happened," Orr said.

Myers said the earthquake occurred just one day after EMA officials had participated in the annual Great Central U.S. ShakeOut drill at area schools.

"This earthquake is a reminder one can happen at any time. That is why we practice earthquake drills," Myers said.