I got a text message from Nicole at 3 AM Pacific Time that her mom had just called to report experiencing a 5.4 scale earthquake in Louisville, Kentucky that awoke her from a dead sleep with the sensation of riding a tectonic plate a few centimeters this way and then that.  I also had a series of emails from my sister, Melody, who lives in Louisville as well.  I spoke with my mom a bit later in the morning and she said that it woke her up in Centerown, Kentucky as well, but, that she went back to sleep without knowing what it was that woke her from her sleep.  Warren, of course, slept through the whole thing! lol!

The quake was centered just north of Evansville, Indiana about a couple of hours west of Louisville and a couple of hours north of Centertown.

The funny thing is that everyone from back home always brings up the danger of earthquakes when they learn I've moved to America's earthquake central, Southern California.  I always take that opportunity to remind them that they live on one of North America's most dangerous fault lines, the New Madrid fault.  The New Madrid fault's last major activity was in 1811 - 1812.  Legend has it that the Mississippi River's flow went back-wards for 10 to 24 hours after the quake and that a similar quake today would be catastrophic due in the amount of damage it would likely bring to the area.

So, maybe a few more hillbillies like me might want to consider a move to the West Coast where at least we don't have tornadoes! lol!