Small Earthquake Shakes Parts of Maryland

The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Center reported a small earthquake early Wednesday morning in Howard County. The 2.1-magnitude earthquake occurred near Clarksville, Md. around 2:11 a.m.

Some Montgomery County residents took to the neighborhood app Nextdoor to see if anyone besides them felt the vibration. A resident in White Oak wrote, “Did anyone hear what sounded like an explosion, followed by a rumbling?” That post garnered 14 comments, including, “I thought it was thunder in the distance but then the house started rattling. Scary how loud earthquakes are.” In Kemp Mill, someone posted about feeling the ground shake. In the Forest Glen section of Silver Spring, someone thought they heard a helicopter but “a little different.”

Residents in nearby Prince George’s and Carroll counties and parts of Washington, D.C. also  felt the shaking.

There was no damage or injuries initially reported from the earthquake.

ICYMI (~215a) PE704, A704 (Sandy Spring) dispatched for ‘explosion’ 1000blk Ashton Rd (Rt108), Ashton, MD, to a Residence. No physical evidence other than neighbors coming out confirming “was that an earthquake?” (IAO MoCo/HowCo border) @MontgomeryCoMD @HoCoGov @mcfrs pic.twitter.com/CjKIAmHRbi

— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) August 4, 2021

About Joshua Casazza

Josh Casazza was a senior at the University of Maryland studying journalism during the summer of 2021 when he interned with Montgomery Community Media.

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