Tiny earthquake felt in northern South Dakota

BOWDLE, S.D. (AP) - The United States Geological Service says it detected a small earthquake in northern South Dakota late Tuesday night.

The USGS says the earthquake just before midnight registered at 3.2 on the Richter scale, which is just above the threshold for feeling a tremor.

The agency says three people within 15 miles of the epicenter near Bowdle reported feeling minor shaking.

While earthquakes are rare in South Dakota, they are not unheard of. The USGS has records of 67 earthquakes that were either in South Dakota or close enough to be felt within the state’s borders since 1900, KSFY-TV reported. Most were located along the Missouri River and James River valleys or in the Black Hills region.

One earthquake actually took place earlier this year, near Platte. But, at 2.5 on the Richter scale it was too small to be felt. The most recent quake that was likely strong enough to be felt was a 3.0 earthquake near Onida in 2017.