Earthquake is recorded in O’Neill area

O’NEILL — The United States Geological Survey reported a 2.9 earthquake on New Year’s Day in the O’Neill area.

The USGS said Seismic readings were recorded at about noon on Jan. 1.

Geophysicists with the USGS in Golden, Colo. said they did not have any initial reports of people feeling the quake.

The epicenter of the quake was actually a mile south of Chambers, which is approximately 18 miles south, southwest of O’Neill.

USGS officials said the earthquake originated approximately five miles underground.

If anyone felt the quake, they are urged to go to the USGS website at USGS.gov to describe any shaking or things falling down. Department officials said descriptions are helpful to the USGS, even with small quakes.

The USGS said an earthquake in the area of O’Neill is unusual, but not unheard of, as “small quakes are possible in any part of the United States.”

The last reported earthquake in this area was near Newcastle in the early 1990s. The biggest earthquake recorded here in modern history was in 1902.

Yankton, S.D. residents were the first people to report that quake, which could be felt all the way down to Elgin.