1.8 magnitude earthquake strikes county

U.S. Geological Survey reports tremor occurred late Monday

June 25, 2024 6:26 p.m.

A 1.8 magnitude earthquake shook Montgomery County around 11:30 p.m. Monday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

The earthquake with a depth of 5.9 kilometers was centered in Spencerville, USGS reported on its website. The epicenter was about 1.4 miles from Cloverly and 2.9 miles from Fairland.

The USGS uses Coordinated Universal Time to report earthquakes, listing Monday’s local tremor as occurring at 3:22 a.m. Tuesday. That time translates to just before 11:30 p.m. Monday in Maryland.

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Citizen contributors reported to the USGS that the earthquake also was felt in Laurel in Prince George’s County and Ellicott City and Columbia in Howard County as well as Wilmington, Delaware, and Monmouth Junction, New Jersey, according to the website.

The tremor marks the second this year to have hit the county. On Jan. 2, Rockville was shaken shortly after midnight by a 2.3 magnitude earthquake.

In 2017, county residents, especially those in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring and Olney, reported feeling a 4.1 magnitude earthquake that occurred in eastern Delaware.

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