West Central Tribune
June 5, 1993

By The Associated Press

A minor earthquake rattled windows, knocked pictures of walls and sent residents into the streets as it rumbled through west-central Minnesota Friday night.

"We have seen an earthquake on our records," said a spokesman for the U.S. Geological Survey in Golden, Colo. "It looks like a light or minor earthquake but it's still pretty big for that area."

The epicenter of the earthquake was 22 miles northwest of Morris, but it was felt in the eastern Dakotas and the Minnesota towns of Ortonville, Willmar, St. Cloud and Madison.

Frank Baldwin, a physical science technician with the Geological Survey, said the earthquake measured 4.1 on the Richter scale. An earthquake of that strength can cause moderate damage.

The tremor, which lasted anywhere from four to 30 seconds, seemed to be the strongest in Stevens County. But it also was felt in Traverse, Big Stone, Pope, Lac Qui Parle, Swift, Kandiyohi, Douglas, Otter Tail, Stearns and Becker counties.

The epicenter was in Traverse County on the South Dakota border, but the sheriff's department there said they had more inquiries from the media than residents. To the southeast, a deputy sheriff in Stevens County said most residents called to report "things just moving around, windows rattling and pictures falling."

No injuries had been reported.

"I was sitting here watching the Twins game and all of a sudden the whole house began to shake and vibrate," said Randy Bannick of Morris. "It seemed like an eternity, but it lasted four to five seconds."

"Nothing fell, but everything certainly rattled," said Bannick, who felt the tremor at 8:28 p.m. He said most of his neighbors went into the street to try and figure out what happened.

"I felt a shake over by the window," said Milt Jacobson of 920 Meadow Lane in Willmar. "I thought it was a big truck going by or a railroad."

"It sure did shake," said Morris resident Glen Helberg. He said it reminded him of another earthquake that hit the area in 1975.

Area law enforcement officials said they received many calls from residents scared or wondering what the shaking was all about that interrupted their evening.

"We certainly had several phone calls about "Why did my house shake?" said a Swift County dispatcher.

John Webster, geology professor at the University of Minnesota-Morris, said aftershocks were unlikely because the earthquake was so mild.

"There was a definite rumble…you could just feel it, your whole body kind of shook," said Jeff Meyer, who farms near Rosholt in the extreme northeast corner of South Dakota.

Vincent Smith of Colfax, N.D., about 25 miles south of Fargo, said he first thought the house was settling.

"Then I thought it was a real freak gust of wind or some kind of earth movement, because I could feel the whole house way down in the foundation," she said.

She added that the event won't soon be forgotten. "We're not exactly California."

"I was sitting on the couch and I felt like my house was being moved. I looked at the dining room table and my flowers were moving. It felt like my house was sliding. It was the strangest feeling," said Nancy Jorgenson who lives on the corner of 14^th Street and Minnesota Avenue in Willmar.