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
Severe Threat & Flooding for Portions of Texas

Severe Threat & Flooding for Portions of Texas

TEXAS - Storms have been moving through Texas

27 May 2026 2:15 AM
Upper Midwestern Storms Head to the Middle Atlantic

Upper Midwestern Storms Head to the Middle Atlantic

Upper MidwestIsolated thunderstorms have been

27 May 2026 2:05 AM
Searing Heat Bakes the High Plains

Searing Heat Bakes the High Plains

If you thought it was hot over the Memorial D

27 May 2026 1:55 AM
Repeated Rain Raising the Flood Threat

Repeated Rain Raising the Flood Threat

The last several days across the southeast ha

27 May 2026 1:40 AM
Severe Storms, Heavy Rain Target the Southeast

Severe Storms, Heavy Rain Target the Southeast

WHAT TO EXPECTHeavy rain has already hit nume

24 May 2026 8:00 PM
NOAA Releases Summer Outlook, Above Average Temperatures Expected

NOAA Releases Summer Outlook, Above Average Temperatures Expected

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administ

24 May 2026 3:00 PM
Severe Storms Persist in the Southern Plains, Gulf Coast

Severe Storms Persist in the Southern Plains, Gulf Coast

Several rounds of storms have been swinging t

23 May 2026 6:45 PM