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Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake Shakes Wallowa County, Felt by Dozens Near Joseph
A 4.3 magnitude earthquake struck Wallowa National Forest late Monday night, about 12 miles from Joseph, with 65 people reporting shaking and no damage. Federal scientists warn of possible smaller aftershocks this week.
JOSEPH, Ore. â A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck late Monday night in Wallowa County, rattling homes and nerves across northeastern Oregon but causing no reported damage, according to federal scientists.
The quake was recorded at 11:42 p.m. Monday, with its epicenter in the Wallowa National Forest about 12 miles from the town of Joseph, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. By 7 a.m. Tuesday, 65 people had submitted reports to the agency saying they felt the shaking.
The USGS ShakeMap classified the intensity as "light" in the area. There were no immediate reports of structural damage or injuries.
The agency's aftershock forecast indicated that smaller quakes could continue in the area over the next week, with up to 11 aftershocks of magnitude 3 or higher possible. Such quakes are typically strong enough to be felt nearby but are not expected to cause widespread damage.
The USGS ShakeAlert Earthquake Early Warning system was activated for the event, according to a social media post from the agency's ShakeAlert account, which alerted residents to the quake about 12 miles southeast of Joseph.
Wallowa County, a sparsely populated region of mountains, forests and ranchland in Oregon's northeast corner, sits in a seismically active part of the Pacific Northwest. While the region does not experience the frequent large quakes associated with the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the coast, smaller tremors are not uncommon.
Residents who felt the shaking can report their observations to the USGS through its online "Did You Feel It?" tool, which helps scientists map the reach and intensity of earthquakes.