New England rocked by minor earthquake

Residents of New Hampshire, along with other New England states were taken by surprise Tuesday when the ground started shaking due to a minor earthquake that struck just after 7 p.m. The earthquake originated in Maine, about 20 miles from Portland, and was felt all the way to Connecticut. The U.S. Geological Survey reported that it was an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.0, and was four miles deep. There were minimal reports of damage across the affected areas.


Even though the area does not experience earthquakes as frequently as a place like California, New England has experienced some of the worst earthquakes in our country’s history. According to the Northeast States Emergency Consortium, in June of 1638, there was an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 that hit central New Hampshire.


This is just one of the several instances of severe earthquakes that hit the Northeast during that time period. Since then, the Northeast has endured other quakes that were not as intense, and have been happening less and less frequently as time goes on. With that said, seismologists predict that New England is nearing its next larger-scale earthquake with every passing year.


When asked how he felt about Tuesday’s earthquake, student Joe Hampson said, “I thought the guy living below me was blasting way too much bass.”