Earthquake Shakes Area Early

(St. Francois County, MO.) Officials with The United States Geological Survey say an earthquake struck St. Francois County early this morning. A USGS map shows the quake was centered between Bonne Terre and Valles Mines. It happened at 2:09 a.m. The earthquake was measured at 2.6 on the Richter Scale and was felt by nearly 100 people on the USGS website.  People from as far away as St. Charles indicated feeling a weak shaking of the ground. It took place at a depth of 7.6 kilometers or 4.2 miles directly underneath St. Francois State Park. A strong earthquake is considered to be 6 to 6.9 on the scale, and could cause some damage, while a major earthquake, that would cause serious damage, measures about 7 to 7.9 on the scale.