On Monday morning, a magnitude 3.8 earthquake shook parts of New England, with reports of shaking felt from Boston to Portland, Maine, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter of the quake was located approximately 7 miles southeast of York Harbor, Maine, at a depth of about 8 miles.
Initially estimated at 3.9 magnitude, the earthquake prompted the York County Emergency Management Agency in Maine to advise residents against calling 911 unless they required urgent assistance. The agency confirmed the occurrence of a small earthquake at 10:22 am, with reports of shaking felt countywide. However, they assured the public that there was no remaining risk and requested that 911 be reserved for emergencies only to avoid overwhelming dispatch centers.
The USGS Earthquakes emphasized that while earthquakes are uncommon along the Atlantic Seaboard, they are not unprecedented. The New England region experiences moderately damaging earthquakes every few decades, with smaller tremors occurring approximately twice a year. The most recent earthquake in the area to cause significant damage was a magnitude 5.6 quake that struck central New Hampshire in 1940.