The Echo
Alexandria, Minnesota
June 9, 1993

Earthquake Shakes County
by Al Edenloff

"Did you feel that?"

That was the question many Douglas County residents were asking Friday night when they felt the ground shake for a few seconds and heard a low rumbling noise.

A lot of people quickly dismissed the incident, thinking it was a loud truck that rolled by, or a passing train, or a distant explosion from some kind of construction project.

When word spread about the real cause of the rumble, it sparked more of a jolt than the tremor itself.

It was an earthquake, the first one felt in nearly 20 years.

The quake, which experts described as light or minor, shook the eastern Dakotas and west central Minnesota at about 8:30 p.m. The epicenter was 10 miles southeast of Wheaton, or about 45 miles east of Alexandria.

It measured 4.1 on the Richter scale -- the fifth biggest quake to hit Minnesota in 133 years. Since 1860, 17 earthquakes have been recorded in the state (see graphic). The last one felt in the Douglas County area happened in 1975.

The tremor lasted anywhere from four to 30 seconds and caused only minor damage. No injuries were reported. It seemed to be strongest in Stevens County, where it shook books off shelves and knocked pictures off walls.

The quake was felt in Traverse, Big Stone, Pope, Lac Qui Parle, Swift, Kandiyohi, Douglas, Otter Tail, Stearns and Becker counties.

Seconds after the tremor, calls started pouring into the Alexandria Police Department from concerned and puzzled residents. Dispatcher Katherine Hunter said the department fielded about a dozen calls.

"We felt it in the office too," Hunter said. "The floor shook just like it would if you were standing by a depot and a train went through."

One caller asked if workers had just dynamited an old building at the site of a proposed condominium project on 7^th Avenue and Cedar Street, Hunter said.

Jay and Susan Diebold of Alexandria were out of the area when the quake hit, but they soon realized something odd must have happened. They discovered their dog, who sleeps in the house, had clawed his way out, shredding a front screen and breaking an aluminum bar across the door.

At first, the Diebolds scolded "Riley," a 7-year-old German Shepherd, for his destructive behavior. But their anger quickly faded when a neighbor told them about the earthquake.

The Diebolds' neighbor felt the ground move and noticed glass panes rattling. Thinking some sort of explosion had happened, she ran out of her house. That's when she heard Riley's frantic barking.

"We're sure that's why Riley went through the screen," said Susan Diebold. "He's afraid of bad weather. I'm sure the earthquake just scared him to death. We really had to coax him just to get him to come back in the house."

Friday's quake went unnoticed by many people in the Alexandria lakes area, including those living in the city's tallest building, Viking Towers. Sandra Runquist, the manager of the building, said she checked with about 20 of the high-rise residents, but nobody reported anything unusual.

"I didn't even know about it until the next morning," said Neva Barsness, a resident on the 12^th floor. "My daughter on Lake Latoka said it felt like a big truck was driving past her home."

"After I heard the news, I looked in my china cabinet, but everything looked fine," said Marbel Benson, a resident on the 13^th floor. "We must have a pretty good building here -- nice and solid."