SCARBOROUGH, Maine — A 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the coast of Maine on Monday morning, causing a stir among residents throughout northern New England and even in areas hundreds of miles away. The quake occurred around 10:22 a.m. and was located approximately six miles (10 kilometers) southeast of York Harbor, according to the United States Geological Survey. The earthquake was reported to have occurred at a depth of roughly eight miles (13 kilometers).
Officials indicated that the tremors were felt across all New England states, reaching as far as Pennsylvania. In southern Maine, many residents experienced their homes and businesses shaking unexpectedly, which interrupted the bright winter morning. As local authorities in Maine and New Hampshire began to inspect potential damage, confusion reigned among residents. Numerous individuals took to social media to share their initial thoughts, assuming it might have been a distant car crash or possibly an explosion.
The Maine Emergency Management Agency urged residents to reserve calls to 911 for actual emergencies. Preliminary assessments showed that the earthquake did not lead to significant damage. Vanessa Corson, a spokesperson for the agency, mentioned that local emergency management teams reported no damage found. Similarly, New Hampshire’s Department of Safety noted that no reports of injury or damage had reached their 911 service.
Corson remarked, “We have not received word of any issues. We’ve spoken with the directors at York and Cumberland County EMA, and everything seems to be in order.” Justine Wenger, a freelance writer from Scarborough, recounted her experience during the quake while she was texting a friend. She described the shaking lasting roughly 30 seconds and recalled initially mistaking the vibrations for the rumble of a passing truck, before questioning the safety of her furnace and stepping outside onto her deck.
“Though I wasn’t terrified, the sensation was different than a usual rumble,” she explained. “It felt significant. I instinctively wanted to get out of the house.” Authorities encouraged anyone who felt the tremor to record their experience on the USGS website. Although earthquakes are less common in the central and eastern parts of the U.S. than in the west, they tend to be felt over a wider area, according to the survey.
Typically, New England experiences approximately two minor earthquakes each year, with the survey noting an instance of a stronger earthquake in New Jersey last April. The survey’s website states, “People in New England, as well as in its geological extension down to Long Island, have witnessed minor quakes and have experienced damage from less frequent, larger ones going back to colonial times.” Maureen Long, chair of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Yale University, remarked that a quake close to a 4.0 magnitude or slightly higher is uncommon but not entirely rare for the region. Long referenced the April quake in New Jersey as a recent occurrence.
In 2002, upstate New York experienced a more significant earthquake of magnitude 5.1, and another earthquake measuring magnitude 4.7 occurred near Hollis Center, Maine, back in 2012. Residents in cities such as Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, also reported feeling the effects of this recent quake.
In Kennebunk, Maine, school superintendent Terri Cooper reassured parents through an email that the staff was inspecting schools for any damage and that everything appeared to be in order. “Our operations department has checked all district buildings and systems to ensure they are in working condition, and no damage has been found,” Cooper stated in her communication.
