Earthquake shakes Western Montana

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake rocked Western Montana Thursday morning shortly after midnight and was felt as far north as Calgary, Alberta, as far south as Boise, Idaho, and as far east as Billings.

The epicenter of the earthquake was reported to be six miles south of Lincoln, Montana, in southern Lewis and Clark County. The quake hit right at 12:30 a.m. and was recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey as hitting at a depth of 4.3 kilometers.

A magnitude 4.5 quake rattled the same general area about a half-hour later. The Independent Record in Helena reports that the USGS says there were at least nine other tremors in the area within an hour of the quake.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damages, but many people reported houses shaking. Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton said Lincoln lost electricity, but the power has been restored.

By way of comparison, the deadly Hebgen Lake earthquake in Southwestern Montana in 1959 was a magnitude 7.3-7.5 on the Richter scale.