KEY TAKEAWAYS: A 4.4 magnitude earthquake struck near Coushatta around 5:30 a.m. March 5. The quake shook homes and rattled furniture and pipes across the Shreveport region. It is the largest earthquake in the area since 2020 and the strongest in North America in the previous 24 hours. No stru ctural damage has been reported following the early-morning quake.   Shreveport was rattled by an earthquake early March 5 in northwestern Louisiana that shook people from their sleep and was strong enough to shake furniture and rattle pipes in some areas. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the magnitude 4.4 earthquake struck about 5:30 a.m. Thursday with its epicenter just north of Coushatta. Republican state Sen. Thomas Pressly of Shreveport said he was awakened by the earthquake. “A 4.4 earthquake isn’t insignificant,” Pressly told USA Today. He joked that his wife slept through the event because she is a California native. The 4.4 earthquake is the largest in the Shreveport region since 2020 and was the strongest in North American in the previous 24 hours. No structural damage has yet been reported from the quake. Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1. This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Shreveport earthquake shakes people awake, rattles pipes, furniture Reporting by Greg Hilburn, Shreveport Times / Shreveport Times USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect ...read more read less