Southern Idaho jolted by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake

A 6.5 magnitude earthquake rocked southern Idaho on Tuesday evening, the most powerful temblor to strike the state in decades.

The quake was centered 19 miles northwest of Stanley and roughly 78 miles northeast of Boise, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It hit at around 5:52 p.m., and was felt across seven states. About 30 minutes later, there was a 4.6 magnitude aftershock. There have been no reports of injuries or major structural damage.

Lee Liberty, a geophysics professor at Boise State University, told the Idaho Press that there is a pattern of large earthquakes striking in the area every 20 years or so. The biggest quake in Idaho history was the 6.9-magnitude Borah Peak earthquake in 1983, which left two people dead.

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