Earthquake Shakes Homes in Maine, Felt Across Hundreds of Miles

SCARBOROUGH, Maine—On Monday, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the Maine coast, shaking residences across northern New England and catching residents of states hundreds of miles away by surprise.

The seismic event occurred around 10:22 a.m. and was located approximately six miles southeast of York Harbor in southern Maine, according to the United States Geological Survey. The epicenter was at a depth of about eight miles.

Officials reported that the tremor was felt throughout all of New England and as far as Pennsylvania. In southern Maine, numerous residents described their homes and buildings shaking, leading to confusion as the unexpected earthquake disrupted an otherwise sunny winter morning.

The quake prompted residents and officials in Maine and New Hampshire to assess potential damages. Many residents reported their initial reactions on social media, with some thinking there was a nearby car crash or possibly an explosion.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency urged residents to call 911 only in emergency situations. Vanessa Corson, a spokesperson for the agency, noted that the quake did not seem to cause significant damage, and local emergency management agencies reported no incidents.

New Hampshire’s Department of Safety indicated that the state’s 911 system did not receive any reports of damage or injuries.

“We have not been informed of any problems. Communication with the directors at York and Cumberland County EMA indicates everything appears to be fine,” Corson mentioned.

Justine Wenger, a freelance copywriter working from her home in Scarborough, shared that she was in the middle of a text conversation with a friend when she experienced the earthquake. The shaking lasted roughly 30 seconds, causing her home to tremble. Initially, she thought it was caused by a passing truck, but then worried it might be a furnace explosion and stepped onto her deck.

“I wasn’t scared, but it felt different from the usual rumbling. It felt significant. I just had the instinct to get outside,” she recalled.

Authorities encouraged residents who felt the earthquake to report their experiences on the USGS website. While earthquakes are less common in the central and eastern U.S. compared to the West, they can be sensed across much larger areas, according to the survey.

The survey noted that it’s typical for New England to experience two minor earthquakes annually. A slightly stronger tremor centered in New Jersey had shaken the Northeast back in April.

“Since colonial times, people in New England and its geological extension southward through Long Island have experienced small earthquakes, with infrequent larger ones causing damage,” the survey stated on its website.

Maureen Long, chair of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Yale University, said that earthquakes near magnitude 4.0 or slightly higher are “not particularly common, but also not very rare” in the Northeast, referencing the April quake in New Jersey as an example.

In 2002, an earthquake in upstate New York registered at 5.1, while a magnitude 4.7 event occurred near Hollis Center, Maine, in 2012, Long noted.

Residents in cities like Boston and Providence, Rhode Island, also reported feeling the tremors.

In Kennebunk, Maine, school superintendent Terri Cooper reassured parents through an email that staff were checking schools for any potential damage and everything seemed to be unaffected.

“Our operations department has inspected all district buildings and systems to ensure they are functioning correctly, and no damage has been found,” Cooper’s email stated.

By Patrick Whittle and Michael Casey