Saturday, May 16, 2009
Early morning earthquake confirmed in Roanoke; no injuries or damage reported
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 3.0 magnitude earthquake in the Roanoke Valley.
Related
Did you feel it?
Weather Journal blog
U.S. Geological Survey
The earthquake that hit the Roanoke Valley early this morning was a magnitude 3.0, the U.S. Geological Survey is now reporting, and the epicenter was 3 miles from Roanoke.
Immediately after the quake, which was recorded at 4:08 a.m., the USGS originally said that it had registered at 2.6 on the Richter scale and that the epicenter was about 4 miles west-southwest of Roanoke, near the Cave Spring area. Later, the USGS reported that the quake was a 2.8.
An "overflow" of people have called 911 in Roanoke, according to emergency dispatchers, though no damage or injuries have been reported.
Earthquakes of this intensity usually do not cause much damage, the National Earthquake Information Center said. Sometimes called microearthquakes, they often are only detected by seismographs and not felt by people.
By 5 a.m., the Earthquake Information Center's Web site listed more than 100 reports of weak or light shaking in Roanoke, Vinton and Salem.
Did you feel it?
Lots of other Roanokers did. The latest buzz from our message board:
- Re: Seismic activity in the Roanoke Valley - 5/17/2009 - 1:27 AM
Not much to say about it. The center of the quake was less than a mile west of our house. My wife and I, and one of our dogs, shot straight up and wondered what in the heck shook the house. We heard nothing (no sirens) and the power was on, so we went back to sleep. I thought maybe it was a sonic boom from a jet. It did not occur to me that it was an earthquake. Kind of cool. Good that there was no damage and no injuries.
- Re: Seismic activity in the Roanoke Valley - 5/16/2009 - 9:07 PM
meg martin:The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a 2.6 magnitude earthquake at about 4:08 Saturday morning.
Roanokers almost immediatly began Tweeting about the tremors.
Did you feel it?
Share your earthquake story here.
I am a resident in North Roanoke County/Hollins area. (We live very close to the airport so loud noises are an every day/evening thing.) I arrived home from work at 3:30am Saturday morning. It was several minutes after 4am and our floors started vibrating, the windows rattled, our dogs started wining. It lasted longer than a jet taking off, so I felt a little inclined to think it was an earth tremor. Glad to know it wasn't just me that experienced this at the wee hours of the morning!
- Re: Seismic activity in the Roanoke Valley - 5/16/2009 - 8:40 PM
We live in the Grandin Road area, and the activity made my husband and I sat straight up in the bed. It felt like a wave going underneath our house. I new it was an earthquake, that was the only explanation!
Dottie
- Re: Seismic activity in the Roanoke Valley - 5/16/2009 - 7:27 PM
I did feel it! The windows of my bedroom shook. I was awake because of loud neighbors. I recorded it at 4:09am. I knew it was an earthquake. This is the third earthquake I have experienced in the Roanoke area. The first was about 20 years ago with the epicenter in West Virginia, hardly noticeable. The second was a few years ago with the epicenter in the Charlottesville area. If you have experienced one, you will never forget what it feels like.
- Re: Seismic activity in the Roanoke Valley - 5/16/2009 - 6:30 PM
My husband, daughter, and I live off of Brambleton Avenue, and I woke up to a load rumble and then the house shook...I honestly thought my husband fell out of bed initially until I felt the house continue to shake. I then thought the house got hit by a car or had a tree fall on it. It only lasted about 10 seconds or so. I went back to bed thinking I was going crazy at 8 months pregnant, but woke up to the news of an earthquake...exciting!
- Re: Seismic activity in the Roanoke Valley - 5/16/2009 - 3:35 PM
I live on memorial ave in the Raliegh Court area, I was actually chatting with my old roommate in Hawaii when my apartment building shook, I thought someone had driven a car into my building. If that was a small one I would hate to feel a big one. It jolted me crazy.
