The United States Geological Survey said they did not record any earthquakes in the Lake County area after hundreds of residents reported feeling an unknown loud boom or rumble on Friday.
A website called Volcano Discovery, which is an unofficial site not operated by the government, said there was an “unconfirmed earthquake or seismic-like event” near Lake Villa around 3:45 p.m. Friday.
Nearly 250 people submitted user reports to the site about what they experienced.
Dozens of Lake County residents described it as a “loud boom” or an “explosion.” Some residents said it caused the ground to vibrate and their houses to shake.
“We heard a boom and our entire house shook,” a Lake Villa resident said.
“Loud bang followed by rumbling which shook roof rafters. Similar to thunder rattling rafters. Thought speeding garbage truck landed in my front lawn,” another Lake Villa resident said.
The majority of residents who reported the incident were in the Lake Villa, Lindenhurst and Antioch area.
A seismologist with the United States Geological Survey (USGS) told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that the USGS did not record any earthquakes in Illinois or Wisconsin.
The USGS is a government-run agency that monitors and reports on earthquakes.
The seismologist said the Friday occurrence in Lake County could have been a variety of things, including a sonic boom, an exploded transformer, storms in the area, a quarry blast and more.
Lake County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli said that the sheriff’s office received several 911 calls in the northern Lake County area about the occurrence.
Covelli said there was no indication that anything had exploded and it is unknown what caused the ground rumbling and loud noise that residents reported.