'Like An Explosion': Neighbors React To 2 Earthquakes In Less Than 2 Days In Baltimore Area
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Two earthquakes in less than two days rattled Baltimore City and Baltimore County.
About two miles and 34 hours separated Friday's 2.6 magnitude earthquake from its aftershock north of Edmondson Village Shopping Center.
"Something 'boom!' Yeah, I thought something fell on the house," said William Preston, neighbor.
Preston said he heard and felt it.
"I got kinda scared. I was like 'whoa.' like, it shook. I ain't never heard nothing like that in my life," said Preston.
However, his neighbor Regina Bullock said she slept through it. "I'm surprised I didn't wake up. I felt nothing. nothing at all," she said.
The United States Geological Survey shows the epicenter for Sunday's 1.7 magnitude quake was in their backyard.
"To hear about one in Woodlawn is stunning enough, but then to heard about one in my backyard almost," said Bullock.
Sunday's quake was an aftershock from Friday's, which was 10 times stronger. Bullock said she'll remember that one.
"Like an explosion, boom! Not like nothing I had ever heard," she said.
Officials with the U.S. Geological Survey told WJZ there are no major fault lines in our area to cause any major damage and these types of aftershocks are expected.
"When we have a large earthquake, like a magnitude 7, we know we'll get thousands of aftershocks," said Thomas Pratt, Research Geophysicist at USGS.
Pratt said there's no way to know how many aftershocks will come after an earthquake as small as the one from Friday.
"The earth underneath the eastern U.S. and underneath Baltimore has been around for a billion years," said Pratt.
During that time, dozens of faults have developed, so don't expect this weekend's earthquakes to be the last.
"I'm just gonna thank God nobody got hurt around here because it was definitely scary," said Preston.
There were no reports of any injuries or damage from Sunday's aftershock.
Pratt told WJZ Reported Paul Gessler that he views these events as wakeup calls and a reminder to people to have an emergency plan ready should a larger earthquake hit.
