2.5 magnitude earthquake rattles parts of Howard County, Maryland
A small 2.5 magnitude earthquake was reported in Howard County, Maryland, on Monday evening, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The epicenter of the earthquake was determined to be southeast of Columbia, Maryland, near Hopewell Park. There were no reports of injuries or damage.
The earthquake was felt by residents in the area around 5:17 p.m. between U.S. 29 and Interstate 95, according to WJZ's First Alert Weather team.
USGS reported that the depth of the earthquake was about 7.7 km.
Small areas in Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties and Baltimore City felt the earthquake, as well as communities in Howard County, including Clarksville, Savage, and Fulton.
Some residents of Burtonsville in Montgomery County also reported feeling the earthquake.
Rebecca Kavage Adams, a geologist with Maryland's Department of Natural Resources, said about 1,000 people reported feeling the earthquake.
"Every now and then, we do feel one because it does get above two," Kavage Adams said.
According to data from the USGS, nearly 1,080 people reported feeling the earthquake, mostly in the Columbia area.
Residents react to Maryland earthquake
Brooke Johnson and Damya Pittman were practicing with their cheer squad at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia when they felt the ground briefly shake.
"We were just in practice and we felt a thump," Johnson said.
Pittman said the quake was small, but it made her question what had happened.
"It wasn't too extra," she said. "It was like something fell. I was like, 'What is that?'"
The Howard County government said Police and Fire were aware of the situation and are surveying for potential damage.
2024 earthquakes in Maryland
This is not the first time seismic activity has been reported in Maryland. Earthquakes occur when the Earth's tectonic plates shift.
In June 2024, a 1.8 magnitude earthquake was reported, with an epicenter in Spencerville, Montgomery County, according to the USGS.
According to the USGS website, that quake was also felt in Wilmington, Delaware, and Columbia, Maryland.
Maryland felt a much larger 4.8 magnitude earthquake in April 2024, which was centered in New Jersey. People in other northeastern locations, including New York, Philadelphia, and Boston, felt that quake.
In January 2024, a small-magnitude earthquake shook the Washington, D.C., suburb of Rockville, Maryland, the USGS said.
A 2.3 magnitude earthquake happened shortly before 1 a.m. at a depth of about 9.5 miles, about 2 miles west of Rockville.
No damage or injuries were reported, but nearly 2,000 people, from six states and Washington, D.C., reported feeling the earthquake, including people in Baltimore, and as far away as Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
"This is a pretty normal occurrence. A couple years ago, there were a couple of earthquakes in New Jersey that could be felt in this area," Kavage Adams said. Those are rare occurrences, and they typically do not rise to the level where buildings would fall. They are typically earthquakes where you would feel a little bit of motion of the ground beneath your feet."
