Western Montana Earthquake Rattles Region

An earthquake strong enough to rouse sleeping residents more than a 100 miles from its epicenter struck western Montana early Thursday.

The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit just after midnight about 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) southeast of Lincoln.

A magnitude 4.5 quake rattled the same general area about a half-hour later.

The Independent Record reports (http://bit.ly/2tjvI12 ) that people felt the magnitude 5.8 earthquake as far away as Bozeman, Great Falls, and Idaho.

A 76-year-old resident of Helena, which is about 34 miles away from the quake’s epicenter, said it was the strongest seismic activity that he had ever felt.

Ray Anderson said his wife told him the temblor woke up the dogs.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damages.