MOSES LAKE - A large earthquake rattled parts of Montana early Thursday morning and sent off tremors that were felt all the way to the Columbia Basin.

The 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit about 6 miles southeast of Lincoln, Mont,. which is in the Mountain Time Zone, about 12:30 a.m. A 4.9 magnitude aftershock hit about 5 minutes later and at least seven other earthquakes were registered on the Richter scale over the next hour, according to the Associated Press. The area itself is no stranger to earthquake activity, as western Montana and northwestern Wyoming have had at least 16, 5.0 magnitude earthquakes within 200 miles of the Lincoln earthquake over the past 100 years, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Moses Lake is roughly 375 miles away and six hour car ride from Lincoln, but the effects of the quake were felt right here in the Basin. Despite the earthquake occurring late at night when most people were sleeping, several followers of the Columbia Basin Herald’s Facebook page reported feeling little rattles and rumblings.

“Our dog felt it. We were wondering what she was barking at and why she was looking out the window. I think (the) power flickered for a bit too around that time,” said a woman.

“The chandelier in my bedroom started shaking and rattling and I thought it must be an earthquake. That was quite a shaker to feel it all the way here,” commented another follower.

From Moses Lake, all the way up to Grand Coulee, there was no shortage of people who said they felt something.

“Felt like the house was gently rocking in Ephrata,” said a woman.

“I was sitting at my desk in my office doing late night work and my monitor started shaking around. I thought it was strange and looked around the room to see why/what was causing it,” remarked another woman.

Where some reported feeling the quake, others didn’t notice a thing.

“I was at work inside of a warehouse with thick concrete floor so I didn't feel anything,” commented a man.

The AP reports there has been no reports of injuries or serious damages associated with the earthquake.

Richard Byrd can be reached via email at city@columbiabasinherald.com.