Residents of southern New Hampshire had their new year rattled by a 2.0-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday afternoon, centered in the town of Loudon, as confirmed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). According to Boston 25 News, the tremor occurred off Old Shaker Road in a community with a population just shy of 560. This geological jolt follows on the heels of another quake in the state, a magnitude-2.7 event in Concord on December 22, prompting USGS officials to speculate that these incidents might be interconnected as foreshocks or aftershocks.
Despite the small magnitudes and current lack of reported damage or injuries, these seismic disturbances are reminders of the region’s susceptibility to earthquakes, with more severe shakes hitting the area every couple of decades and minor ones felt about biannually. Historical records reveal the Boston area has not been immune to the shakes, with three considerable tremors in the 18th century, as noted by Boston 25 News. Loudon's latest quake did catch the attention of several WMUR viewers who reported their experiences to the station.
New Hampshire and its environs have felt the earth move under their feet before, with a 4.0-magnitude quake hitting southern Maine in 2012 and sending tremors as far as Connecticut, along with a 1982 event near Laconia and Sanbornton that tumbled telephone poles and disrupted homes, according to a report by WMUR. The state's seismic history notes the most powerful quakes on record took place in December 1940, with a duo of 5.6-magnitude tremors making their mark on the Ossipee area.
USGS continues to monitor the area for any further seismic activity.
