Small earthquake shakes Alabama gulf coast

FORT MORGAN, Ala. – Federal officials say a minor earthquake has shaken southern Alabama, and people more than 200 miles away have reported feeling the temblor.

The U.S. Geological Service says the 3.5-magnitude earthquake happened at 5:15 p.m. Friday. There were no immediate reports of damage.

The epicenter was near the tip of the Fort Morgan Peninsula at the mouth of Mobile Bay, about 35 miles southeast of Mobile.

Residents in the Pensacola area of the Florida panhandle also said they felt the earthquake, as did residents as far north as Birmingham, Ala.

In 2008, a 3.1-magnitude earthquake hit the southwest Alabama town of Coffeeville, about 100 miles north of where Friday's quake struck.