Midnight Colorado Earthquake Startles Residents, Damages Few Homes

August 23, 2011 2:53 PM EDT

A midnight Colorado earthquake, the strongest to hit the state since 1973, woke startled resident on Monday night.

The 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck at 11:46 P.M. Monday night about nine miles outside of Trinidad, Colo., which is located on Colorado's border with New Mexico.

The U.S. Geological Survey revealed that Trinidad, Colo.; Raton, N.M.; Colorado Springs, Colo.; and La Junta, Colo. were among the most impacted regions.

The earthquake, though severe by Colorado standards, did not cause any major destruction or injuries save for some minor structural damage at homes near the epicenter and minor damages to highways nearby.

It did, however, disrupt Colorado residents, many of whom called or checked online to find out what was happening.

"I thought maybe a car had hit my house. Then I called to my son and he said it was the third (quake) today," an elderly Trinidad resident told the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Colorado is considered a region of minor earthquake activity. The strongest recorded in modern times is a 6.6-magnitude earthquake in 1882, which was felt as far as Salt Lake City, Utah, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In 1901, an earthquake cracked windows and rolled boulders onto the highway. In 1944, an earthquake cracked walls and chimneys. In 1967 and 1973, Colorado experienced strong earthquakes. However, unlike Monday's natural earthquake, they were ultimately determined to have been man-made.

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