Earthquake reader
Rumbling through the Sandhills, an earthquake rattled folks across Custer County on Monday. That includes Shannon Cooksley, who was in her kitchen writing checks.

She said, "All of a sudden there was a shaking and a horrible rumble."

The Cooksley's picturesque Sandhills ranch was near the epicenter of an earthquake, with a magnitude of 3.5.

Cooksley said, "People in Broken Bow didn't know what was going on. I heard reports on the radio that maybe a plane had crashed at the airport or maybe a train had derailed."

Shannon and her husband Kevin Cooksley have seen a lot, as Kevin told NTV in July 2014.

"Weathering drought and natural disasters," he said.

But an earthquake is a first for their ranch, and their recently remodeled home a carpenter said was well-built, like a barn.

Shannon said, "To make it shake, it had to be fairly strong, or fairly close anyway."

State Geologist Matt Joeckel was watching the reports on the U.S Geological Survey website from his office at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

He said, "This is by any standard a weak earthquake, certainly strong enough to be felt because people have felt it, but not strong enough to do significant damage."

The state geologist says there's little to fear in Nebraska. Earthquakes happen every few years, with little damage.

From a scientific perspective, each quake helps them learn more, and unlock the secrets of seismic activity in the state.

Joeckel said, "These earthquakes that occur in the continental interior away from major mapped faults are a little bit mysterious."

He said the bedrock outcroppings that usually help them map faults just aren't there in Custer County.

But despite the unknowns, he said, "they don't have anything to be terribly afraid of."

The Cooksleys lease the land at the epicenter. Officials say there's no damage, and experts say there's no cause for alarm.

There's no oil or gas exploration and no reason to expect more in the area.

But the state geologist says small earthquakes will happen again in Nebraska.

Joeckel said, "Don't know when we'll have the next one, but likely within three years."

The state geologist says everyone needs to know what to do in an earthquake, because you don't know when you'll be traveling and one will strike.

Experts say get on the floor and cover your head and neck.

Once the shaking stops, assess the situation. If there's a clear path, exit the building you are in.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, the key is to "Drop, Cover, and Hold on!"

Drop to the ground, cover your head, and hold on to a steady piece of furniture or interior wall.

Earlier story:

An earthquake rattled people in Custer County on Monday morning.

The U.S. Geological Survey reports an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 struck just after 10:00 a.m. east-northeast of Broken Bow, near Weissert.

It struck at 10:04 a.m. and there are no damage reports, according to the National Weather Service office in North Platte.

Residents tell NTV it was felt in Broken Bow, Weissert, Westerville, Ansley, Berwyn, Comstock, Arnold, Merna, and Callaway. It was apparently felt in Valley County as well, in Ord and Arcadia.

Jody Slingsby reported she felt it in Westerville. On Facebook, she told NTV, "Thought the neighbor was driving his hay truck through the house!

Julie Wright told us, "Felt like a truck hit the house in Broken Bow!"

Brenda Crouch said it was not how she expected her Monday to go. On Facebook, she reported, "My house felt like someone lit a bomb under it and she shook! I'm in Ansley. Knocked out my phone line, and electrical for a couple of minutes. I thought there was something wrong with my furnace or gas line, so I called Source Gas and they came out and told me it was an earthquake."

The USGS says earthquakes are rare east of the Rocky Mountains.