SHIRLEY — An earthquake off the coast of Maine this morning was felt across western and central Massachusetts, causing homes throughout the Commonwealth to shake and reaching as far as Connecticut and Rhode Island, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The event occurred just before 10:30 a.m., with the epicenter approximately 11 kilometers (about 6.8 miles) southeast of York Harbor, Maine. Initially, the USGS assessed the quake’s magnitude at 4.1, but the intensity was later revised to 3.8.
(Photo Credit: USGS)
The earthquake’s reach was extensive, with “Did You Feel It?” (DYFI) responses on the USGS’s website indicating that tremors were experienced in a broad swath of communities, some as far as 234 kilometers (about 145 miles) from the epicenter.
Residents in towns including Amherst, Easthampton, Springfield, Lee, Greenfield, Groton, Shirley, Boylston, and Grafton reported feeling the quake. Notably, Grafton reported a slightly higher intensity level of III on the MMI scale, suggesting more noticeable shaking compared to other locations which mostly reported a level II, indicating weak shaking that is felt only by a few.
Despite the widespread nature of the quake, no injuries or major damages have been reported.
