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2003 Alabama earthquake

2003 earthquakes2003 in Alabama2003 natural disasters in the United StatesApril 2003 events in the United StatesEarthquakes in the United States
Natural disasters in Alabama
Epicenter of the 2003 Alabama earthquake
Epicenter of the 2003 Alabama earthquake

The 2003 Alabama earthquake took place on April 29 at 3:59 A.M. Central Daylight Time (local time when the event occurred) eight miles (13 km) east-northeast of Fort Payne, Alabama. The number of people who felt this quake was exceptionally high as the earthquake could be felt in 11 states across the East Coast and as far north as southern Indiana. The earthquake was strongly felt throughout metropolitan Atlanta. The Georgia Building Authority was called out to inspect the historic Georgia State Capitol in downtown Atlanta and other state-owned buildings but found no problems. However, this is not out of the ordinary as earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains can be felt several times the area felt on West Coast earthquakes. The earthquake was given a magnitude 4.6 on the moment magnitude scale by the USGS (other sources reported as high a magnitude as 4.9) and reports of the duration of the shaking range from 10 seconds to as long as 45 seconds. It is tied with a 1973 earthquake near Knoxville, Tennessee as the strongest earthquake ever to occur in the Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone, which is the second most active seismic zone east of the Rocky Mountains, with the New Madrid Seismic Zone the most active.The April 29 earthquake caused moderate damage in northern Alabama including a 29-foot (8.8 m) wide sinkhole northwest of Fort Payne. The quake disrupted the local water supply. There were numerous reports of chimney damage, broken windows, and cracked walls, particularly around the area near Hammondville, Mentone and Valley Head, Alabama. Many 9-1-1 call centers were overloaded with worrisome and panicked residents, who thought it was a train derailment, a bomb, or some other type of explosion that had awakened them. There were several aftershocks, all of magnitude 2.0 or lower, and were not widely felt.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article 2003 Alabama earthquake (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

2003 Alabama earthquake
Blue Trail,

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Wikipedia: 2003 Alabama earthquakeContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 34.494 ° E -85.629 °
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Blue Trail

Blue Trail

Alabama, United States
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Epicenter of the 2003 Alabama earthquake
Epicenter of the 2003 Alabama earthquake
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Old Union Crossing Covered Bridge
Old Union Crossing Covered Bridge

The Old Union Crossing Covered Bridge is a privately owned wood & metal combination style covered bridge that spans the West Fork of the Little River in DeKalb County, Alabama, United States. It is located on an access road between Shady Grove Dude Ranch and Cloudmont Ski & Golf Resort on Lookout Mountain, which is off County Road 614 near the town of Mentone. Coordinates are 34°32′3.51″N 85°35′56.47″W (34.534308, -85.599019). Originally built circa 1863, the 90-foot (27 m) bridge is a Stringer construction over three spans. Its current WGCB number is 01-25-A, formerly 01-25-02. It was rebuilt in 1980 over an existing cable bridge from the late 19th century. Due to its type of construction, the Old Union Crossing Covered Bridge is currently classified as a non-authentic covered bridge. This bridge has also been called the Tallahatchee Covered Bridge, but these are actually two different structures. A couple of sources contradict time and place of bridge movement if both names applied to the same bridge. According to the current owners as well as most sources, the Old Union Crossing Covered Bridge was moved from Lincoln, Alabama in 1972 to its current location near Mentone. In reference to a document released by the Alabama Historical Commission in the early 1980s which lists all historic covered bridges in the state as well as a September 3, 1975 news article from The Anniston Star, the Tallahatchee Covered Bridge (also known as 'Tallasseehatchee' after the creek it originally spanned) was moved from Wellington, Alabama to Piedmont, Alabama (both in Calhoun County) in early September 1975 for becoming part of a reconstructed pioneer village and Appalachian crafts center. No information about the Tallahatchee Covered Bridge after the move nor of its continued existence is mentioned although it's possible the bridge may still be in private use today.