BIG FALLS – A magnitude 4.1 earthquake was detected near Dillon on Monday, October 7, 2024, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS reports the earthquake struck just before 1 a.m

It was located about 12 km east of Dillon at a depth of about 13.5 km.

People reported feeling the earthquake in Butte, Helena, Anaconda, Bozeman, Clancy, Gardiner and Lincoln.

There are no reports of damage or injuries.

We will keep you posted as we get more information.

The Treasure State is located 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 most of Montana’s earthquake activity occurs. The vast majority of earthquakes are very small and rarely felt by people.

However, there have been some notable earthquakes in Montana’s history, including the magnitude 7.3 Hebgen Lake earthquake on August 17, 1959.

The earthquake created more than 160 new geysers in Yellowstone National Park. There were also approximately 28 fatalities due to a landslide 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 located 5 miles (8.8 kilometers) southeast of Lincoln at a depth of about 2.6 miles (4.2 kilometers). People reported feeling the magnitude 5.8 earthquake 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 deaths or serious injuries.

The plains of central and eastern Montana are much less prone to earthquakes, but a handful of significant ones have been reported.

According to the USGS, on May 15, 1909, a magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck northeastern Montana. Several smaller earthquakes have been recorded in Roosevelt County, including an estimated magnitude 4.5 earthquake in the town of Froid that resulted in some damage to a grain warehouse in 1943.

Although it has been some time since the state has experienced a devastating earthquake, small earthquakes occur several times a day. Click here for more information about earthquake preparedness.