A “microearthquake” shook the Spencerville area late Monday night according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The quake, which registered 1.8 on the Richter scale and originated about 3.5 miles below ground, was first reported just before 11:30 p.m.
Spencerville is one mile north of Cloverly and about four miles west of Burtonsville.
The quake has registered 71 responses to the USGS “Did You Feel It” webpage. While the quake’s center was in Spencerville, responses came in from surrounding areas such as Columbia, Germantown and Lexington Park, with one response coming all the way from Wilmington, DE.
Most areas of Montgomery County see earthquakes on a very infrequent basis, though the county’s website does note that some areas of Maryland are at risk for moderate quakes. The most infamous earthquake in the DMV region came in 2011, when a magnitude 5.8 quake originating in Virginia shook the DC-metro area and caused damage throughout the region.
There have been no reports of any such damage, large or small, caused by Monday’s earthquake.
