USGS officials call Idaho earthquake 'an unusual occurrence'

Sunday, April 13, 2014, 3:28 PM -

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake shook central Idaho , flinging items off walls and scaring residents but otherwise producing no reported damage or injuries in the sparsely populated mountain area. 

USGS geophysicist Dale Grant says the earthquake was "kind of an unusual occurrence'' being the first one of its strength in the area since 2005. 

SEE ALSO: What would happen if a strong quake struck Vancouver?

But he said even minor damage is unlikely because of the remote location. It struck 8 miles northwest of Challis, a town of around 1,000 less than 321 kilometres northeast of Boise. 

Custer County sheriff's dispatcher Liz Preston says besides "things falling off walls and a lot of scared people,'' no one was hurt. 

She says the area has had some quakes lately, but this one felt "pretty big'' compared with the others. She says the office shook, including the windows and computers. 

SEE ALSO: Read about ten powerful earthquakes that changed history

With files from The Associate Press