CRYSTAL LAKE – A minor earthquake shortly before 10 p.m. Monday alarmed some residents in the McHenry County area, but there were no immediate reports of damage.



The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 2.4 earthquake at 9:54 p.m. The epicenter was located 11 miles west southwest of Kenosha, Wis. The temblor was at a depth of 6.2 miles, the report said.



Several area police stations reported getting calls from residents.The McHenry County Sheriff's Office reported that about 10 people called about the quake. Some were unsure of what had happened and many reported hearing a loud noise, authorities said.



Deborah Finley, of Island Lake, said she heard and felt the rumbling.



"At first I thought my furnace was going to explode," she said. "There was a sound like a train."



Most of the shaking was felt in the northwest suburbs of Illinois, according to a USGS map.



While rare, the Midwest does have occasional seismic activity. There was a magnitude-5.4 earthquake in April 2008 near Olney, Ill. The most powerful earthquake recorded in Illinois was a magnitude 5.4 near Dale in 1968, according to the USGS.