Mary Hamilton Reporting

A BYU-Idaho geologist thinks the two quakes Thursday morning should signal a red flag for Eastern Idahoans.

Many people here in Eastern Idaho felt the shockwave of that earthquake in Nevada and it begs the question:  what's the risk of another big one here in Eastern Idaho?

Robert Clayton, of the BYU Idaho Geology Department and an expert in Seismology, explained why Eastern Idaho is at such a big risk, and it has no correlation to all of the earthquakes this week.  He said it would take a much bigger earthquake nearby to trigger one here, but we have potentially active faults on all four sides of us. Also, the last 2 earthquakes here in 1959 and 1983 were more than 10 times as strong as the one in Nevada. 

Clayton says he's always glad when another quake strikes in the West because it serves as a warning to folks here to get ready.

"Yes, large earthquakes are a distinct possibility this century in our lifetimes in Eastern Idaho.  Probably the most important thing is to strap your water heater to the house," explained Clayton. "Water heaters are very heavy, and when they fall over they can pull out the gas lines, spewing gas into your house or garage. And that's a very common source of fires in earthquakes."

Clayton stressed that everyone check his or her water heater because if it's properly fixed in place, then it could be life-saving in the event of another earthquake.

If you felt that quake this morning, you should report it because Clayton says that is really helpful for collecting geological data.  Below is the link:

DID YOU FEEL IT?  REPORT IT HERE!