Video: Earthquake Felt In Madison County

[syndicaster id=’5845037′]

CANTON, Miss.(WCBI)–Just before eight thirty Monday morning residents of Madison County were again alarmed as a minor earthquake rattled areas southwest of Canton. There are no damages reported, however these minor quakes have been occuring quite frequently.

Mississippi is not usually associated with earthquakes, but experts say there are many epicenters in the state.

“They plot all over the state. There has even been earthquakes on the coast. So, Mississippi is not a stranger to earthquakes,” said Charles Swann/University of Mississippi.

On the minds of many, there is a suggestion that fracking is responsible for the many recent earthquakes occuring in Madison County, not necessarily so says Swann.

“The reason I think that is because these earthquakes are associated with an oil well or injection well or something like that and there are no oil wells or injection wells near the epicenter of this quake,” said Charles Swann.

Should there be a major quake, area first responders who are trained and have logged in hours of earthquake seminars would respond.

“We don’t get into too deep because the ramifications are very straight forward. The very first thing we are interested in in an earthquake type situation, is life hazards. And that’s going to be basically from building collapse or structural collapse,” said Kirk Rosenhan/Fire Service Coordinator.

And the experts want us to consider this very interesting aspect, geological location plays an important part when it comes to the impact of the quake.

“Say a magnitude 5 in California will do, have a be felt over a certain area. You take that same earth quake, move it into central United states and you could have a 5 here. And it may be felt over that particular area times two or times three,” said Charles Swann.

The Canton quake was felt by persons indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. Many people do not recognize it as an earthquake.