Update 11:43 CT - Initially the Illinois earthquake was described as reaching 4.3 magnitude, but the US Geological Survey (USGS) is now calling it 3.8.
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The U.S. Geological Survey reported on its Web site that a 3.8 magnitude quake centered east of Sycamore at about 4 a.m.
The epicenter is about 45 miles west of Chicago.
Reports of tremors came in from Villa Park, Batavia, Naperville, Western Springs and Des Plaines. In Chicago, reports came from the Northwest Side and Logan Square.
An earthquake measuring 3.8 magnitude hit just outside of Chicago, waking millions in an early morning slumber. The earthquake hit at 03:59:34 AM local time.
The USGS web site said the 3.8 earthquake was centered 48 miles (77 kilometers) West North West of Chicago, Illinois. The February 10, 2010 3.8 Chicago earthquake hit at a depth of around 5 kilometers or 3 miles.
Map indications put the 3.8 Chicago earthquake just under the town of Virgil, Illinois.
Reports from people who felt the earthquake came in from Villa Park, Batavia, Naperville, Western Springs and Des Plaines. In Chicago, reports came from the Northwest Side and Logan Square, local media said.
The USGS listed these major population centres distance from the early morning 3.8 earthquake February 10 2010.
* 6 km (4 miles) WNW (292°) from Virgil, IL
* 8 km (5 miles) E (94°) from Sycamore, IL
* 8 km (5 miles) N (1°) from Maple Park, IL
* 14 km (8 miles) ENE (67°) from DeKalb, IL
* 35 km (22 miles) NW (315°) from Aurora, IL
* 77 km (48 miles) WNW (282°) from Chicago, IL
Earthquakes are rare but not uncommon in the mid-west of the United States, however people in the region were still in shock, particularly as a major snow storm batters locals.
“Earthquake near Chicago 4am today! Shook me out of bed. Very strong. Table, lamp, bed shook hard!,” a user of Twitter wrote.
“”And here I thought one of the snowplows ran into my condo bldg but it was only an earthquake. What next Chicago?,”another user in Chicago wrote.
A mild earthquake shook northern Illinois this morning.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 3.8 magnitude quake at 3:59:43 a.m. centered about 5½ miles east of Sycamore.
The epicenter is about 45 miles west of Chicago.
The quake was felt over a wide area, but there were no reports of any damage.
Reports of tremors came in from Villa Park, Western Springs, Minooka, Batavia, Naperville, Elgin, Oak Lawn, Des Plaines and even Crown Point, Ind. In Chicago, reports came from the Northwest Side and Logan Square.
"The whole house shook," said Walter Mockus of St. Charles. "The chimes that hang were all ringing. It was so loud, I thought a plane had gone down."
"It was 4:02 a.m. and I was in bed and felt the whole house shaking," said Bob Bulmash of Warrenville. "But nothing fell down. It lasted about 3 to 5 seconds."
In Naperville, Julie Hannon said the quake shook her out of a sound sleep.
"When you feel an earthquake, it makes you wake up right away," said Hannon, who said she had experienced several quakes when she lived in Japan. "You could feel a shaking and you could hear a rumbling."
The quake lasted a few seconds, she said. Nothing fell or broke in her home.
"It's humbling, especially when you think about all the people who have been harmed by earthquakes," Hannon added.
"I heard the plates I didn't wash from dinner rattle," said Alice Fabbre of Joliet. "The house shook, but it was very short. At first, I thought it was a snow plow going by."
"It shook me out bed. I was was sleeping and the whole bed was shaking, it was that violent," said Rex Covington, who lives in Plato Center Township, about five miles west of Elgin. He estimated the tremor lasted 5 or 6 seconds.
"When I called 911, she said they felt the shock too and said their whole building in Geneva shook."
In Oak Lawn, Ron Cerevic, who lives on the second floor of an apartment building, said it felt "like someone hit the side of the building."
