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
Tropical Storm Moke Has Formed in the Pacific; Impacts to Hawaii Start Sunday

Tropical Storm Moke Has Formed in the Pacific; Impacts to Hawaii Start Sunday

TROPICAL STORM MOKEJust days after Hurricane

22 Aug 2026 8:10 PM
Severe Storms Continue to Ride Around Heat Dome

Severe Storms Continue to Ride Around Heat Dome

Several frontal systems will cross the countr

22 Aug 2026 8:05 PM
Atlantic Tropics : Watching Several Areas, Strong Tropical Wave Next Week

Atlantic Tropics : Watching Several Areas, Strong Tropical Wave Next Week

El Niño has been smothering tropical waves in

22 Aug 2026 8:05 PM
Heat, Some Humidity, and Storms for the Southwest

Heat, Some Humidity, and Storms for the Southwest

As we get through the work week, high pressur

22 Aug 2026 9:55 AM
Stifling Heat Holds Steady for Southern U.S.

Stifling Heat Holds Steady for Southern U.S.

A ridge of high pressure has dominated the so

21 Aug 2026 11:00 AM
Severe Storms and Heavy Rain Across the East Coast

Severe Storms and Heavy Rain Across the East Coast

A stormy end to the week is taking shape for

21 Aug 2026 10:00 AM
Front That Caused Flooding Heading East

Front That Caused Flooding Heading East

MIDWEST - After a week of flooding rains in t

18 Aug 2026 1:30 AM