Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Just as the second Presidential debate was about to kick off last night, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake struck southern Maine.
The epicenter of the quake was located some 3 miles west of Hollis Center, Maine, west of Portland, but it was felt throughout New England.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) notes that earthquakes in the central and eastern U.S., although less frequent than in the western U.S., are typically felt over a much broader region:
A magnitude 4.0 eastern U.S. earthquake typically can be felt at many places as far as 100 km (60 miles) from where it occurred, and it infrequently causes damage near its source. A magnitude 5.5 eastern U.S. earthquake usually can be felt as far as 500 km (300 miles) from where it occurred, and sometimes causes damage as far away as 40 km (25 miles).â€
Moderately damaging earthquakes strike somewhere in New England every few decades, according to USGS. Smaller earthquakes are more common in the region and felt roughly twice a year.
The two largest known New England earthquakes occurred in 1638 (magnitude 6.5) in Vermont or New Hampshire, and in 1755 (magnitude 5.8) offshore from Cape Ann northeast of Boston. The Cape Ann quake caused severe damage to the Boston waterfront.
The most recent New England earthquake to cause moderate damage occurred in 1940 (magnitude 5.6) in central New Hampshire.
These numbers help put last nightâ€™s earthquake into perspective.
Remember earthquakes are not covered under standard homeowners and business insurance policies. However, coverage is available in the form of an endorsement to a home or business insurance policy.