Magnitude 3.8 earthquake strikes New England – with shaking felt in Boston and Maine
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A 3.8-magnitude earthquake originating off the coast of Maine shook New England today, with tremors felt in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
The earthquake occurred 8 miles underground near York Harbor at 10:22 a.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Service. Small earthquakes are fairly common in Maine, with several typically happening each year, according to the stateโs geological service.
Mondayโs incident marked the strongest earthquake in the northeast U.S. since last year when a 4.8-magnitude earthquake hit New Jersey in April โ the strongest to hit the region in more than a decade, NBC News reports.
There is currently no tsunami threat in New England, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center.
โThis is like a once-in-every-five-years type of earthquake,โ John Ebel, a senior scientist with Boston Collegeโs Weston Observatory, told WBZ-TV.
Still, residents were surprised by the sudden shaking โ especially those in Massachusetts.
โIt was brief, 5-8 seconds but my entire house shook and I had couple loud bangs that Iโm not sure what they were. It was pretty intense for something that small and brief,โ one Massachusetts resident told WCVB.
โIt lasted about 5-10 seconds and a pocket door near me was rattling and I could feel the vibration under my feet and my body on my couch,โ another resident told the outlet. โMy husband came out of his office right away and asked, โWas that a tremor?โโ
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said there have been no reports of damage in the state as of 10:50 a.m. local time. The Independent has contacted the Maine Emergency Management Agency for more information.
However, aftershocks are possible, Ebel told WBZ-TV.
โIf the aftershocks get to be, you know, magnitude 2.8, 3,0, or 3,1, letโs say those will be felt probably by the people in the North Shore area of Massachusetts as well as coastal New Hampshire and south coastal Maine,โ Ebel said.
More to come…
