A Whole Lot of Shaking going on!

So where were you for the big Midwest Earthquake of 2008??

I was in bed. Where else am I expected to be just before 5:37am? And it woke me up. I was laying there in bed, I heard a rumble, and my house started to creak in ways I've never heard it creak before. And it shook. I shook! For a decent amount of time, too - close to a minute, easily! And all I could think is, "Cool - my first earthquake!"

Okay... so maybe it wasn't as big or comparable to what they get in California, but for the Midwest, this is a big deal!! It was registered as a 5.4 magnitude on the Richter Scale, which matched the largest earthquake previously noted in history back in 1968 (yes... I did a little research after this morning). Today's earthquake was felt as far a 360 miles away up in Milwaukee. There were even some reports of tremors out in Des Moines, about 450 miles away!

Here's your trivia on our little 'earthquake region' (from the AP)...

"The quake occurred in the Illinois basin-Ozark dome region that covers parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas and stretches from Indianapolis and St. Louis to Memphis, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The organization's Web site said earthquakes occur irregularly in the area, and that the largest historical earthquake in the region — also a magnitude 5.4 — caused damage in southern Illinois in 1968."

So there you have it. Indiana can be exciting! I know I was excited, anyway! :)

Update - 10:30am: How is it that they can change the magnitude of not only today's earthquake (they're now saying it was only a 5.2 magnitude - did the computer change its mind??), but also of the previously noted historical 'big one' I mentioned?? They're saying the biggest was now 5.3, not 5.4. Do records change themselves?? Weird.