Aug. 12, 1959

An earthquake centered in Hazel Green in Madison County shook Huntsville and was felt over a 25-mile radius on this day in 1959. There were no reports of fatalities, but there was damage. Bricks toppled from chimneys and a new concrete block building was damaged. Homes experienced cracked plaster and merchandise toppled from the shelves of some businesses. Residents ran out of their homes in fear. Towns in Tennessee also felt the quake, which was an estimated 3.8 magnitude.

Read more at the Alabama Department of Archives and History and learn more about earthquake preparation at the Great Shakeout. 

For more on Alabama’s Bicentennial, visit Alabama 200.