A 3.8-magnitude earthquake originating off the coast of Maine shook New England today, with tremors felt in Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
The earthquake occurred eight miles underground near York Harbor at 10:22 a.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Service. Smaller earthquakes are fairly common in Maine, but the state typically only sees a 3-point magnitude earthquake once a year, according to the state’s geological service.
Monday’s incident marked the strongest earthquake in the northeast U.S. since last year when a 4.8-magnitude earthquake hit New Jersey in April — the strongest to hit the region in more than a decade, according to NBC News.
There is currently no tsunami threat in New England, according to the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center.
“This is like a once-in-every-five-years type of earthquake,” John Ebel, a senior scientist with Boston College’s Weston Observatory, told WBZ-TV.
Still, residents were surprised by the sudden shaking.
“It was brief, 5-8 seconds, but my entire house shook and I had couple loud bangs that I’m not sure what they were. It was pretty intense for something that small and brief,” one Massachusetts resident told WCVB.
“It 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,” another resident told the outlet. “My husband came out of his office right away and asked, ‘Was that a tremor?’”
There is a 15 percent chance of at least one aftershock of a magnitude 3 or greater within the next week, the USGS said.
“If the aftershocks get to be, you know, magnitude 2.8, 3,0, or 3,1, let’s 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,” Ebel said.
The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency said there have been no reports of damage in the state as of 10:50 a.m. local time. Emergency management officials in Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine similarly confirmed toThe Independent there have been no reports of damage, injuries or deaths from the earthquake as of Monday morning.
The Maine Emergency Management Agency has told residents to avoid calling 911 unless there is an emergency. As the quake hit, calls poured in from residents who feared the shaking was from an explosion.
“We’re not sure what’s going on,” a dispatcher said, according to police scanner audio obtained by CBS News. “We’re getting calls from all over town about an explosion.”
