Earthquake Rattles South-Central Nebraska; Residents From Cowles to Lincoln Say They Felt It
A magnitude 4. 1 earthquake struck near Cowles on Sunday, and aftershocks kept residents on edge into the evening as people from Beaver Crossing to Lincoln — and as far away as Omaha and Manhattan, Kansas — reported feeling the tremor.
Earthquake measured 4. 1 and first recorded at 12: 59 p. m. ET
The U. S. Geological Survey recorded the initial quake at 12: 59 p. m. ET, locating it about three miles east of Cowles in Webster County, south of Hastings. The agency listed the first event as magnitude 4. 1, with a depth of around 2 miles and a minimum travel distance of 86 miles.
Two 2. 6 aftershocks followed at 2: 30 p. m. ET and 8: 45 p. m. ET
Nearly an hour and a half after the first tremor, the USGS recorded a 2. 6-magnitude aftershock at 2: 30 p. m. ET with a depth of nearly 3. 5 miles. A third quake, also measured at 2. 6 magnitude, was recorded at 8: 45 p. m. ET farther south than the first two, with a depth just over three miles.
Residents reported faint rumbling, rattling and mistaken causes
Dozens of felt reports came into the USGS and local outlets. Residents said they felt a faint rumble across floors or rattling inside homes. Richard Webb described sitting at a table and first thinking the noise came from a refrigerator, saying, "I thought at first it was the fridge or something. " David Crable said he woke in bed feeling shaking and at first thought it was his dog, later realizing it was not.
Widespread reports from Nebraska into Kansas and what the USGS says
People across Nebraska and Kansas reported feeling the Sunday afternoon quake; the USGS received dozens of reports, including ones from Omaha and Manhattan, Kansas. The agency classifies a magnitude 4. 1 event as "light" and not likely to cause damage.
Many residents took to social media to describe the shaking; others mistook the tremor for passing trains or household vibrations. A local newsroom spoke with a couple of people who experienced the tremor and invited viewers to submit photos and videos to a community photo album.
