Kentucky earthquake felt in Illinois

The National Weather Service office in Paducah, Ky. and the U.S. Geological Survey reported a small earthquake occurred at 1:12 a.m. Sunday near La Center, Ky., in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, which covers parts of Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas.

The magnitude 3.5 quake occurred 8.7 miles north of La Center and 24.2 miles west of Paducah.

In July 2014, the USGS released its updated seismic hazard maps, which showed the New Madrid zone with a higher risk for a damaging quake in the next 50 years.

The area last suffered three major quakes from December 16, 1811 to February 7, 1812, with magnitudes of 7.5, 7.3 and 7.5.

The February 7 quake, with a magnitude of 7.5, was said to have been strong enough to "ring the church bells of Boston," according to published newspaper reports at the time.

Intermittent shaking continued through March of 1812, with aftershocks strong enough to be felt occurring through 1817.