Residents Rattled By Metro Detroit's Earthquake

A small magnitude earthquake hit Canada around 8 p.m. Thursday and could be felt across metro Detroit, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake measured at a 3.6 magnitude the Richter Scale.

The epicenter was Amherstburg, Canada and it could be felt all across metro Detroit, according to reports, as far west as Canton.

In Grosse Pointe Woods, it was a chaotic few moments for resident Mike Leonhard's home.

"Windows, glass table, floors and China cabinet were all shaking for about 20-25 seconds," he shared. "The kids were running through the house so I was yelling at them saying to stop, they were making the house shake. They stopped and it was still shaking."

Leonhard said his family got a good laugh about the incident. "Today we are just trying to put our lives back together," he said.

Westland resident San Clark didn't feel the shake, but heard it: "I was mopping my bathroom floor. I heard a loud rumble and thought, whoa, what was that?" Clark shared.

Barbara Chandler Kirchner, of Grosse Pointe, was watching TV when it happened: "I thought it was a huge truck barreling by," she said. "(I) ran to the window, no truck in sight..."

Residents speculated nearby crashes, low flying planes and even attacks to try to rationalize the rumble, but while it's rare, it's not unheard of to have an earthquake in Michigan. It was however the largest earthquake in Michigan since May 2015, when a magnitude-4.2 earthquake was recorded in Kalamazoo County and felt across the state with reports coming to the U.S. Geological Survey from Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ontario.

Screenshot via USGS