Nelsonville Earthquake: 3.5 Magnitude Quake Hits Ohio Town [Breaking]
Nelsonville, Ohio experienced a 3.5 magnitude earthquake around 1:30 pm today. The tremors from the quake stretched more than 40 miles away in multiple directions. The southern Ohio town is located about 64 miles from Columbus. Damage from the Nelsonville earthquake remains unknown at this time. The earthquake reportedly took place 4.9 miles beneath the Earth’s surface.
Approximately 20 years ago, those of us who live in or near the town experienced tremors after an Ohio earthquake multiple counties away. That incident is the only other known earthquake type activity local residents can recall. Sirens on buildings, including the Austin Powder Plant in adjacent Vinton County, immediately went off after the Nelsonville earthquake.
Ohio public employee Sarah Steenrod Tome described her shock over the sharking ground approximately 15 miles from the Nelsonville earthquake like this:
“My entire office just shook in Logan, then my husband called from Buchtel and asked if I just felt it! Wow.”
Residents in at least three nearby counties immediately took to Facebook and Twitter asking, “Did you feel that?” to their friends and followers. In my home, approximately 40 minutes from where the 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit, a loud boom was heard followed by shaking of the floors and wall. Similar experiences were felt by other southern Ohio residents, according to their online tweets and posts.
Nelsonville resident Pam Duffy shared these sentiments about the Ohio earthquake on Facebook moments after the incident occurred:
“Did anyone else just feel that???!!! I know I felt the Earth move!! The dishes in my cabinets were even rattling. Someone else tell me they felt it too!!”
United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports that an estimated 500,000 “detachable earthquakes” occur in the world each year. Approximately 100,000 of those earthquakes can be felt and 100 can cause damage. “Most of North America east of the Rockies to the Atlantic Ocean have very few, infrequent earthquakes,” the USGS also notes.
Hocking College student Brandon Howard had this to say to The Inquisitr about the Nelsonville earthquake:
“I felt my whole house vibrating. I heard it stop shaking after about 10 seconds. I walked out and figured one of my roommates was banging on the front door, but no one was there.”
There are no known injuries or significant damage caused by the 3.5 magnitude earthquake. According to NBC4 reports, tremors from the Nelsonville earthquake was felt in Adelphi, Athens, Baltimore, Bexley, Bremen, Canal Winchester, Chauncey, Circleville, Columbus, Crooksville, Delaware, Dublin, Galloway, Grove City, Groveport, Hamden, Hilliard, Hocking Hills, Jackson, Lancaster, Logan, McArthur, New Plymouth, Newark, Pataskala, Pickerington, Powell, Rushville, Somerset, Stoutsville, Sugar Grove, Westerville and Whitehall.
More information about the Ohio earthquake will be published when details become available.
[Image Courtesy of Brea Blair Photography]
