On Friday night, an earthquake near Reelfoot Lake in the northwestern region of Tennessee sent tremors rippling across three states, creating a sensation felt by hundreds of residents.
The United States Geological Survey, or USGS, documented the seismic event with a magnitude of 3.3, pinpointing its epicenter near Ridgely, situated 25 miles to the south of the Kentucky state border. This incident seems to be the most substantial tremor detected along the New Madrid Fault in the past six months.
The preliminary report from the USGS indicates that the earthquake struck at approximately 9:59 p.m., occurring about 5 miles southeast of Ridgely. As of Saturday morning, nearly 250 individuals had reported to the USGS that they experienced the earthquake, spanning across the states of Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas.
The majority of these reports originated from northwestern Tennessee, ranging from Dyersburg to Union City. There were also reports of tremors felt farther east, near Jackson, Tennessee.
The earthquake’s depth was measured at roughly 7 miles beneath the earth’s surface.