Lake Michigan had a 2.9 magnitude earthquake Friday morning, a rare occurrence

Following a night of storms scattered across Wisconsin, Friday morning brought something almost unheard of in the Midwest: an earthquake.

Taylor Patterson, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said a 2.9 magnitude earthquake took place in Lake Michigan off the shore of Sturgeon Bay around 9 a.m. Friday. The United States Geological Survey says it occurred about 25 miles off the shore.

"This is something that is unusual," Patterson said. "It's not typical for there to be any earthquake activity in the Midwest let alone in Wisconsin."

More: Will the rare earthquake in Lake Michigan cause a tsunami-like event? What to know.

Patterson said there haven't been reports so far of people who have felt the earthquake, but it is possible they will roll in Friday afternoon as residents realize an earthquake occurred.

The Richter scale, used to measure earthquakes, goes up to 10, with 1 being the least strong and 10 being the most. A magnitude of 2.9 is "barely felt by people" according to Science Notes .

Patterson said the earthquake could produce slightly larger waves in the Great Lakes' region, but nothing compared to coastal ocean waves.

Because of how the ocean floor is composed of steep drop offs, reefs and deep depths, ocean waves are much more dangerous from an earthquake. Friday's waves on Lake Michigan are not expected to pose any danger.

This is the second earthquake felt in Wisconsin this year, as a magnitude 2.5 earthquake was detected in the Crandon area in northern Wisconsin on Jan. 7, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lake Michigan had a 2.9 magnitude earthquake Friday morning, a rare occurrence