Earthquake of January 15, 1998
Felt Observations

Fenton
-Felt a movement of 2-3 secs around 5pm yesterday in Fenton, close to 141.
-Felt like tractor trailer had overturned.
-Jarred house; thought it was sonic boom.
-Felt like an explosion, with ground shaking. Near Rudder Rd.
-1 mile west of Hwy. 141 and 30; thought it was an explosion; house shook.
-Sounded and felt like a blast.
-Felt; 3 miles from epicenter.
-1 mile from epicenter; thought it was sonic boom or explosion; windows rattled.
-2 blocks from Hwy. 141 and 30; thought at first furnace had exploded; went outside to check; no rumbling or shaking, just loud "boom".
-West on Hwy. 30, south of Hwy. 141, south of county line. Felt and heard 2 distinct movements, "shudders". Knew it was an earthquake from experiences in California and New Madrid, MO.
-Sounded like a blast from construction site near I-44 and Hwy. 141.

Sunset Hills
-Felt near Gravois and Lindbergh.
-South Geyer Rd. and I-44; thought it was a sonic boom.

High Ridge
-Kitchen Cabinets shook; thought it was sonic boom.
-Heard and felt shock.

Sappington
-Gravois and Lindberg; thought it was a sonic boom.
-Near Grant's Farm, south of Gravois; in basement at time; heard rumbling; though t it was a sonic boom.
-Felt at Musik and Lavina near (Gravois and Rock Hill).
-Sounded like thunder.

Valley Park
-Near Big Bend and Hwy. 141; house shook.
-Heard "boom" and felt shaking; thought it was a sonic boom.

Afton
-Felt a rumble yesterday early evening in Afton, near highway 55.
-Felt near Grants Farm.
-Felt explosion with rumbling.
-Felt at MacKenzie and Gravois.
-Near I-55; felt rumbling and "boom".
-Shook slightly, briefly.
-Near Grants Farm; heard "boom" and house shook.
-Bar glasses in basement rattled.

Crestwood
-Thought it was a sonic boom; felt sudden jolt.
-Sounded like a thunder clap.
-Severe shaking; thought furnace exploded.
-Sounded like a clap of thunder.
-Near Grants Farm (Gravois and Rock Hill); thought it was a sonic boom; sounded like thunder bolt.
-Felt a sudden jolt and "heard" rumbling; like an explosion; thought it was an earthquake; when no news reports came in, thought it could have been a sonic boom or distant explosion.
-Near Grants Farm (Sappington and Eddie Park Rds.); on second floor of building; felt "air shock" from west; shock was powerful and distant.

South County
-Famous Barr Store at South County shopping center; storeroom shelving shook.
-Felt at I-55 and Lindbergh.
-Thought it was a rumble of thunder.

Shrewsbury
-(Watson and MacKenzie); windows rattled.
-MacKenzie Point; heard loud "boom"; thought it was explosion.

Webster Groves
-Thought it was a sonic boom.
-Felt a "booming" sensation and shaking.
-Near Elm and Watson; sounded like explosion with 2-3 seconds of slight shaking; glasses rattled.
-Near Kenrick Plaza (Watson and MacKenzie); felt like sonic boom.
-Felt near I-44 and Elm Ave.
-Near Laclede Station and Murdoch; felt "thud", like something heavy dropped.
-South Old Orchard (Lockwood and Rock Hill); felt like sonic boom; rumbling came from west.
-375 South Elm; thought it was a semi-truck going down Elm; remember thinking that those trucks weren't supposed to use Elm; then there was this tremendous BOOM which rattled windows and shook the house; thought it was an explosion of some sort.
-Jefferson Road; heard, not felt.
-Heard large rumble; ground shook.
-Student in class at Webster University (Lockwood and Big Bend) on 4th floor of building felt shaking and heard "bang". Said several students in class noticed it.
-South Webster (Chesire Lane and Watson); thought furnace exploded or a large tree fell nearby.
-Near Edgar Rd. and Big Bend; at 5:34pm hear a loud bang, like back door slamming shut; floor shook; took place in just a split second.

Warson Woods
-Felt like a large tree fell.
-Felt like a small explosion.

Kirkwood
-Felt at north end of Kirkwood.
-Police department received several calls.
-At intersection of Lindbergh and Manchester; felt like "bump" in street.
-South of I-44 and I-270; thought it was explosion; felt "sound shock".
-Heard and felt earthquake.
-North Taylor; felt and heard what was thought to be a sonic boom.
-Near Essex Ave. and Geyer Rd.; very distinct sound, like sonic boom; went outside to see if it was an explosion.

Des Peres
-Felt near Manchester Rd. and I-270.
-Near Old Dougherty Ferry Rd.; felt rumble and heard something.

Ballwin
-Thought there had been an explosion.
-Felt shaking.
-Heard explosion; did not feel.

Frontenac
-Police department received several calls reporting possible explosion or sonic boom.
-Near Clayton and Lindbergh; felt jolt; thought tree had fallen or there was a sonic boom.

St. Louis City
-Near Oak Hill and Utah; felt slight shaking on 2nd floor of home.
-"Heard" earthquake.
-St. Louis Hills; thought it was explosion.
-Felt like truck driving by.
-Glass figurine shifted.

St. Louis County
-Rock Hill (Rock Hill and Manchester Rds.); felt jolt, like an explosion.
-Felt in Manchester (?) (Baxter and Clayton Rds.)
-Felt in Oakville.
-Glendale (Manchester and Sappington Rds.); "heard" shock.
-Felt in Richmond Heights.
-Manchester; felt "shaking under foot" in the parts department at the Saturn dealership.
-Town and Country; Hwy. 141 and Clayton Rd.; felt like sonic boom.
-Mehlville; felt near Reavis Barricks and Union; house shook.
-Marlborough (Laclede Station and Watson Rds.); about 5:30 pm that day when I heard what I thought was a sonic boom.

Jefferson County
-2 reports from Imperial, MO.
-Felt at Maxville (between Hwy. 21 and 30).
-Arnold; felt shaking at Fazoli's Restaurant.
-Felt at Barnhart (?).

NOTE: The blast engineer for the St. Louis County Public Works Department confirmed that there had been no blasting in the area from highway construction or subdivision construction at that time.