Maryland

Small Earthquake Rumbles in Carroll County, Maryland

Weak shaking was felt near Olney, Germantown and even downtown Silver Spring, according to reports submitted to the USGS

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A magnitude 2.0 earthquake rumbled in Carroll County, Maryland, late Tuesday, and shaking was felt as far away as Silver Spring and Woodbridge, Virginia.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reports a small earthquake struck about 11:49 p.m. ET near Sykesville, which is about 20 miles west of Baltimore and 40 miles north of D.C. The quake occurred 4 km — almost 2.5 miles — underground, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources said.

Weak shaking was felt near Olney, Germantown, Silver Spring, and even parts of Northern Virginia, according to reports submitted to the USGS' Did You Feel It? tool. More than 500 people had submitted reports within 12 hours of the quake.

Howard County Police said they received calls about a boom and tweeted that it was earthquake-related.

There are no reports of any damage or injuries.

About 1 million magnitude earthquakes occur on Earth every year, the USGS says.

In August 2021, a magnitude 2.1 earthquake struck Clarksville, about 15 miles southwest of Baltimore.

Stay with News4 for more.

Correction (Oct. 12, 2022, 10:50 a.m.): An earlier version of this article misstated the time of the earthquake.

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