Earthquake rattles unlikely US state leaving locals asking ‘Is this real?’

• People in Louisiana were shaken awake Thursday by an unusually large earthquake, a rare occurrence in the state located in the southern U.S.
• A 4.4 magnitude quake struck the state at about 5:30 a.m. just north of Coushatta. The earthquake was later upgraded to a magnitude 4.9.
• The quake marked the second largest in history in Louisiana, behind a 5.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Grand Isle on Feb. 9, 2006.
• Earthquakes of this size are uncommon for the Pelican State as Louisiana sits in a quiet seismic zone, local ABC affiliate WBRZ reported.
• Locals rushed to social media in surprise after the quake. “Is this real? I did not know Louisiana had earthquakes,” one person wrote. Another added: “Huh we never had earthquakes.”