Have You Felt an Earthquake in Montana?

Many people have asked me about how dangerous earthquakes in Montana are. Here’s what you should know.  

Are earthquakes in Montana something to be worried about?

Having been born and raised here in Montana, I’ve felt a few earthquakes every now and then, but nothing severe. At most, you might experience one that rattles something off a shelf in a grocery store.

In fact, I was sitting at home the other day when I felt a loud thud. I thought it was snow falling off a tree and onto our deck, but there was no snow.

Sure enough, it had been an earthquake.

A belt of seismicity (seismic or earthquake activity) actually runs through the western portion of Montana, called the Intermountain Seismic Belt. It extends into Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, and southern Nevada.

There is a portion of the Belt called the Centennial Tectonic Belt that has eight active faults which have produced a few major earthquakes in history, although it’s been 40 years since an earthquake produced by this region has been destructive.

So in general, no, you don’t have much to fear from earthquakes in Montana.

For any other questions about real estate, feel free to reach out to me. I’d be happy to talk with you.