By AP/St. Louis Public Radio
Chicago – A small pre-dawn earthquake hit northern Illinois Wednesday, startling sleepy-eyed residents as far away as Iowa and Indiana, but there are no reports of injuries or major damage.
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the 4.3-magnitude earthquake hit about 50 miles northwest of Chicago at 4 a.m. .
USGS geophysicist Amy Vaughan says such quakes are rare in northern Illinois. She says the agency received reports from Wisconsin, Iowa and Indiana about feeling the ground shake.
Sheriff's dispatchers near the epicenter in Kane County say they've been flooded with calls from startled residents.
Residents reported being tossed out of bed and finding books and tools scattered across the floor.