Earthquake rattles Whitefish awake

The loud boom and quick shake of a moderate earthquake rattled many Whitefish residents awake late Friday night.

The 3.9-magnitude quake — downgraded from a 4.5 — was centered 3 miles northwest of Columbia Falls and was about 8.4 miles deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Residents across the valley reported feeling the rumble, and even as far away as Missoula.

No one reported damage or injuries — just a few broken eggs, toppled plates and some cracked drywall.

Still, the loud jolt was the talk of town on Saturday.

Joe and Jill Courtney said the earthquake cracked plaster under the windows and above the doors in their Colorado Avenue home in Whitefish.

“In all the years I’ve lived in Whitefish I’ve never had an earthquake wake me up in the middle the night shaking the bed in the house until now,” Jill Courtney posted on Facebook moments after the quake.

“Pictures on the walls are moved, two fell off the wall, plates rattled, drawers opened slightly, a carton of eggs fell out of the fridge, and a couple things fell over,” Phillip Bruinsma of Whitefish said. “It didn’t last long, 15 to 20 seconds of shaking. The sound was intense, like thunder!”

Beth Shreffler said she felt it shake her three-story home on Baker Avenue.

Tammy Trennerry said she felt it at the base of Columbia Mountain near Badrock Canyon.

Others heard the boom, but chalked it up as a train, the wind or a bear getting into garbage.

“I figured it was the railroad,” said Whitefish resident Jan Metzmaker. “It was quick and memorable.”

Some managed to soundly sleep through the entire ordeal.

“I was sleeping but felt it,” said Clyde Dicks. “Thought I was going crazy. Woke up next day to find it was true.”

This is the second earthquake in the past week to hit the Flathead. A 4.0 magnitude earthquake hit the Marion area west of Kalispell on the afternoon of Nov. 11.