HELENA — The Treasure State is in one of the most seismically active regions in the United States. The intermountain seismic belt, which runs through the western third of the state, is where the majority of the earthquake activity occurs in Montana.
The vast majority of quakes are very small, and rarely felt by people. However, there have been some notable earthquakes in Montana’s history (see below).
The Montana Disaster & Emergency Services agency is helping schools, businesses, and government facilities prepare for earthquakes through the annual International Great ShakeOut, which takes place this year on October 17th.
Betsy Ross, the training exercise section supervisor at Montana DES, explained the importance of Montanans taking part in the educational program.
“It’s done across the country and even internationally so there are other countries that also participate in the drill and it's just a fun way to get people more aware of what to do during an earthquake so they're safe and reduce their likelihood of injury,” Ross said.
Ross recommends three easy steps to stay safe.
“I think everybody is aware of the stop, drop, and roll for fire. For earthquakes we want people to drop, cover, and hold on.”
Kessler Elementary School in Helena participated in the drill on Tuesday.
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Students went over safety tips in the classroom, and then did the "drop, cover, and hold" routine.
Once the "all clear" was given, students and teachers evacuated the building and aced the test.
For more information about how to participate in this years Great ShakeOut, visit greatshakeout.org.
The Treasure State is in one of the most seismically active regions in the United States. The intermountain seismic belt, which runs through the western third of the state, is where the majority of the earthquake activity occurs in Montana. The vast majority of quakes are very small, and rarely felt by people.
However, there have been some notable earthquakes in Montana’s history, including the 7.3 magnitude Hebgen Lake earthquake on August 17, 1959. The earthquake triggered more than 160 new geysers throughout Yellowstone National Park. There were also around 28 fatalities from a rockslide in Madison Canyon.
And on July 6, 2017, one of the strongest earthquakes to hit Montana in decades shook the community of Lincoln northwest of Helena. It was centered 5.5 miles southeast of Lincoln at a depth of about 2.6 miles. People reported feeling the 5.8 magnitude quake across Montana and the northwest, with some reports coming from as far away as Vancouver and Lethbridge, Canada.
It caused some minor damage, but no fatalities or serious injuries.
The plains of central and eastern Montana are much less prone to quakes, but there have been a handful of significant ones reported.
According to the USGS, a 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck northeastern Montana on May 15th, 1909. Several smaller quakes have been recorded in Roosevelt County, including an estimated 4.5 magnitude quake in the town of Froid that resulted in some damage to a grain bin back in 1943.
Although it has been some time since the state has seen a destructive earthquake, small quakes occur several times every day. Click here to learn more about earthquake preparedness.
