6.5 Magnitude Earthquake in Idaho Shakes the Region

news image
Special Stories
1 Apr 2020 5:40 AM
A strong, magnitude 6.5 earthquake rattled Central Idaho Tuesday afternoon, at 5:52 p.m. Mountain Time. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, The epicenter was located 18.7 miles to the north-northwest of Stanley, Idaho, about 78 miles northeast of Boise. [embed]https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1245155967278272512[/embed] The shaking was captured by this webcam from SeeJH.com. Minor shaking begins just before the 20 second mark with a more noticeable jolt shortly after. Ducks sitting on the bank of the Salmon River quickly jump into the water once the shaking starts. An aftershock of magnitude 4.6 was felt about 35 minutes after the initial quake, but additional aftershocks over 4.0 in magnitude are possible in the days to follow. The USGS expects limited landslide activity from this event, with little to no population exposure to the landslide risk. This was a significant earthquake for the region and the largest since the 6.9 magnitude Borah Peak earthquake in 1983, which occurred about 70 miles to the east-southeast. The mountains of Central Idaho have a history of damaging earthquakes, according to the Idaho Geological Survey. This was also a shallow earthquake, occurring at a depth of approximately 10 kilometers, about 6 miles. Earthquakes that strike a depth of 70 km or less are considered shallow. [embed]https://twitter.com/WeatherNation/status/1245403301690003456[/embed] Shaking was widely felt across Idaho, as well as neighboring states. According to the U.S. Geological Survey's "Did you feel it?" responses, shaking was felt as far away as 660 miles, in Regina, Saskatchewan. The shaking apparently caused a stir on social media, due to it's proximity to Yellowstone National Park and the super-volcano located under the park. Experts quickly dispelled any notion of the earthquake affecting the volcano. [embed]https://twitter.com/USGSVolcanoes/status/1245154266928402433[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/DrLucyJones/status/1245171068811112448[/embed] Seven additional aftershocks with a magnitude of 3+ have been recorded by the time of this article's publishing. This will be updated as additional information becomes available.
All Weather News
More
Hurricane Impacts Possible in Hawaii

Hurricane Impacts Possible in Hawaii

A developing tropical system in the Central P

13 Aug 2026 1:00 PM
Atlantic Tropics: Several Systems to Monitor

Atlantic Tropics: Several Systems to Monitor

Aside from the two tropical storms that forme

13 Aug 2026 12:05 PM
Multiple Days of Storms Keeps the Midwest to Northeast Active

Multiple Days of Storms Keeps the Midwest to Northeast Active

MIDWEST - Around lunchtime on Tuesday, intens

13 Aug 2026 11:30 AM
What to Know About the Total Solar Eclipse on August 12th

What to Know About the Total Solar Eclipse on August 12th

Get ready for one of the most spectacular dis

13 Aug 2026 10:00 AM
Stifling Heat Slides East This Week

Stifling Heat Slides East This Week

A large area of high pressure continues to br

13 Aug 2026 9:25 AM
Repeated Severe Threat for the High Plains

Repeated Severe Threat for the High Plains

HIGH PLAINS - Tuesday proved to be an incredi

13 Aug 2026 1:30 AM
One of the Best Meteor Showers of the Year Peaks Tonight

One of the Best Meteor Showers of the Year Peaks Tonight

After the solar eclipse happens Wednesday aft

12 Aug 2026 2:20 PM