The ground is shaking in Clintonville

Talk about it

Wednesday morning was apparently the worst of four straight days of shaking ground and loud booms in Clintonville in Waupaca County.

City Administrator Lisa Kuss said people were awakened by the shaking at around 5 a.m. Wednesday. Some ventured into the streets in their pajamas to get away from the rattling that’s been happening on and off since Sunday night.

Police got more than 30 calls from upset residents between 5 and 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. Kuss said the booms were so loud some people thought their homes were hit by a tree or something else.

A seismic station near Clintonville has recorded abnormal ground shaking the past four days.

UW-Madison seismologist Harold Tobin says it can be caused by quarry work, mining or heavy truck traffic. But city officials have ruled out all those things, along with leaks in utility lines and a possible earthquake.

They say there’s no major construction or mining that’s going on in the Clintonville area. The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey group says it will take a closer look at the data to find possible clues.

Tobin says there have been similar boom incidents elsewhere around the country. He says some can be explained and some cannot.

City officials are holding a public meeting Wednesday night at Clintonville High School to talk about what they’ve done and learned. It will also give frustrated residents a chance to vent a little.

Tags: news, wisconsin, environment