Puget Sound rattled by 4.0 earthquake centered in Seabeck
Sep 17, 2014, 7:26 AM | Updated: 11:42 am
A 4.0 earthquake was centered near the town of Seabeck in Kitsap County, about 40 miles west of Seattle Wednesday. (Earthquake Map screengrab)
(Earthquake Map screengrab)
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A 4.0 magnitude earthquake rattled the Puget Sound early Wednesday.
The earthquake was centered near the town of Seabeck in Kitsap County, about 40 miles west of Seattle. The shaking was felt as far away as Everett, Olympia and downtown Seattle.
The U.S. Geological Survey says the earthquake began shaking around 3 a.m. and had a depth of 11 miles.
John Vidale, professor in earth and space sciences at the University of Washington, told The Seattle Times that “the people who reported feeling it were all across Puget Sound.”
Vidale said this was the biggest quake to shake the region this year, but a magnitude-4.0 earthquake does little damage.
“It woke me up because the alarms went off. Whenever there’s an earthquake, beepers go off and we were up making sure all the reporting is done right,” Vidale said.
Posts on social media suggest the shaking woke residents up and frightened animals. More than 400 people reported feeling the quake across the region, most saying it was weak or light.
According to reports, two smaller earthquakes that followed are considered aftershocks, a 1.2 magnitude earthquake and a 0.7 magnitude earthquake.
The Kitsap County emergency dispatch did not receive any reports of damage or injuries.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
