An earthquake was felt across New Hampshire on Monday morning.
The 3.8-magnitude quake shook less than 10 miles east of Portsmouth around 10:22 a.m. The quake shook at a depth of more than 8 miles.
The USGS initially reported the quake measured at a 4.1, but they have since adjusted the earthquake’s reported magnitude.
>> Information from the USGS | Interactive earthquake map
Reports of the earthquake came from across New Hampshire, from the Seacoast, to Rochester and Dover, to Manchester, Concord and Nashua and even in western areas like Keene and Claremont.
>> EXPLAINER: Why New England earthquakes are felt so far from epicenters
Witnesses said the shaking lasted for several seconds.
“The whole house began to shake,” Brian Riccio, of Exeter, said. “The bottles on the wall were starting to rattle. Honestly, it was quite frightening.”
>> RAW VIDEOS: Granite Staters, their pets react to Monday earthquake
“We were enjoying our breakfast at The Friendly Toast and, I don’t know, all of us kind of looked up. We thought it was a truck going by, but it kind of just didn’t end,” said one man in Portsmouth.
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“We were walking over in Kittery. We took our six-mile walk, or whatever it is, and someone came out of the house and said, ‘Did you guys hear that boom and that shake?’ And either we were so deep in conversation that we didn’t hear. There was an earthquake?” said another man in Portsmouth.
>> See reaction to the quake from Manchester:
The earthquake shook near Seabrook Station Nuclear Plant, but officials there said there was no impact.
“The earthquake recorded near York, Maine did not impact Seabrook Station Nuclear Plant. There was not any risk to the public, and the plant continues to operate normally,” Lindsay Robertson, senior communication strategist for NextEra Energy Communications, said. “Nuclear plants, including Seabrook Station, are designed to withstand earthquakes and other natural events.”
>> See breaking news coverage shortly after the earthquake was detected:
New Hampshire emergency officials said there were no reports of injuries or damage as a result of the earthquake.
They offered safety tips to keep in mind in the event of an earthquake:
“During an earthquake, if you are inside, you should drop, cover and hold on. If you are outside, you should move away from buildings and other items that can topple over,” officials wrote in a news release.
>> AUDIO: Listen as York, Maine firefighters responded to 911 calls
Weston Observatory’s seismograph shows the dramatic difference between earthquake activity before and after the quake was recorded:
Earthquakes in the Granite State are typically minor, though there have been memorable ones. In 2012, a 4.0-magnitude earthquake centered in southern Maine rocked New Hampshire and was felt from as far away as Connecticut.
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In 1982, an earthquake with a magnitude of at least 4.0 was centered near Laconia and Sanbornton. The quake collapsed telephone poles and shook homes, but there were no reports of injuries or major damage at the time.
The most significant earthquakes centered in New Hampshire in recorded history occurred four days apart on Dec. 20, 1940, and Dec. 24, 1940, and each had the same strength. The 5.6-magnitude quakes were each centered in the Ossipee area.
