Public Media from Michigan State University

Magnitude 3.6 Earthquake Rattles Detroit Area

US Geological Survey map showing epicenter of earthquake on April 19, 2018.
US Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting a 3.6-magnitude earthquake centered in southern Canada that also was felt in suburban Detroit.

The quake was recorded late Thursday near Amherstburg, Ontario, a town of about 21,900 people.

Jeff Ward of Taylor, Michigan, told the Detroit Free Press he was on his couch watching television when the ground started shaking. 

He says a rumbling sound made him think a truck was passing on nearby Interstate 94. 

But his understanding changed when the sound continued and the house started shaking.

National Weather Service meteorologist Ian Lee says the earthquake occurred around 8 p.m. 

Meteorologist David Gurney says earthquakes of the 3.6 magnitude "are rare, but not unheard of" in southeast Michigan.

The earthquake's center was across the Detroit River from the city of Detroit.
 

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