UPDATE: The USGS has downgraded the magnitude of the earthquake on their website, now categorizing it as a 4.1 magnitude quake.
Amanda Engel
WMAL.COM
WASHINGTON (WMAL) — A 4.4 magnitude earthquake rocked Dover, Delaware at 4:47PM Eastern Time.
People could feel the earthquake from Washington D.C. all the way up to New York City, according to John Bellini, a geophysicist at the US Geological National Earthquake Center.
“We would not expect to see a lot of damage,” said Bellini to WMAL. “Very minor damage is the kind of thing you could see from this.”
Ed McDonough with the Maryland Emergency Management Agency said they haven’t had any reports of serious damage yet. At this point they have reached out to 911 call centers around the state are waiting to see if any local agencies need help. The area they are most concerned about is the Eastern Shore since it’s closest to the earthquake’s epicenter.
He also spoke about the unusual nature of an East Coast earthquake. “The Eastern US does get earthquakes of this size from time to time, so although interesting and unexpected it’s not completely unfounded,” he said.
Copyright 2017 by WMAL.com. All Rights Reserved. (Photo: USGS)
