{"id":64092,"date":"2026-01-29T17:09:55","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T22:09:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bnonews.com\/?p=64092"},"modified":"2026-01-29T17:10:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T22:10:40","slug":"magnitude-4-2-earthquake-strikes-montana-near-great-falls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bnonews.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/magnitude-4-2-earthquake-strikes-montana-near-great-falls\/","title":{"rendered":"Magnitude 4.2 earthquake strikes Montana near Great Falls"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck Montana, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter was located near the city of Great Falls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The quake struck at 12:41 p.m. Mountain time at a depth of about 14 miles, according to the USGS<\/a>. The epicenter was located about 7.4 miles northeast of Great Falls, near Black Horse Lake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 700 felt reports have been submitted by users to the USGS website, with most indicating weak to light shaking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Epicenter of Thursday’s earthquake near Great Falls (Credit: Google)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAn earthquake was just felt in Great Falls\u2026 we are checking into it now,\u201d the National Weather Service office in Great Falls said in a post<\/a> shortly after the quake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shaking was also reported in Shelby, Kalispell, and Montana\u2019s capital, Helena, according to the USGS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Montana has experienced significant earthquakes in the past, most notably near Helena in 1935, when a series of quakes up to magnitude 6.4 caused widespread damage in the state capital. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The strongest earthquake recorded in Montana was the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake, a magnitude 7.3 event near Yellowstone National Park that triggered massive landslides and killed 28 people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n