Northern Michigan Residents Shaken by Earthquake Alert

First, Vanderbilt, Michigan residents get hit with a horrific ice storm, and now an earthquake alert?

The vibe was a little shaky Monday in Otsego County as smartphones were all a buzz with a push alert that said, "Emergency Alert: Earthquake Detected! Drop, Cover, Hold On. Protect Yourself. ~USGS ShakeAlert"

There was, in fact, an earthquake on Monday.  But that 5.2 earthquake was 2,462 miles away from Northern Michigan.  So, why would the good people of Otsego County, Michigan, get this terrifying alert while the ground is shaking in San Diego, California?

Because of the ice storm, of course.  Below is a video recorded in the center of Otsego County on Sunday, March 30th. Thousands of trees snapped in half along with poles that supported power lines.

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So, what does the ice storm have to do with an earthquake alert?  Great question.  Here's how the Michigan State Police explained it on Twitter,

It wasn't just trees and power lines failing in Northern Michigan during that ice storm.  Apparently, the ice took out the cell towers.  Since towers that were registered to California were placed in Vanderbilt, they mistakenly received and relayed the San Diego earthquake alerts to Vanderbilt, Michigan.

It's worth noting that Michigan does not experience earthquakes nearly as often as California.  When Michigan does get an earthquake, it's usually so minor that nobody feels it.

Michigan has experienced 4 earthquakes in the last 12 months that measured 3 or above on the Richter scale.

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