Residents across several communities in Maryland experienced a minor tremor yesterday when a 2.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Columbia and Savage area. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the event, reporting a lack of damage and injuries at this time. Occurring around 5 p.m., local authorities, including police and fire departments, were prompt in canvassing the region, as noted by Howard County officials in a statement shared with WMAR-2 News.
Expanding the scope of impact, Chief Meteorologist Derek Beasley of WJZ pointed out that the quake, felt at precisely 5:17 p.m., stretched latitude between U.S. 29 and Interstate 95. With the quake's epicenter located south and east of Columbia, its tremors reached out to touch neighboring communities, not limited to Anne Arundel and Baltimore counties, as well as Baltimore City, and down to Burtonsville in Montgomery County. "Police and Fire are aware of the situation and are surveying for any potential damage," noted the Howard County government in a statement echoed by CBS News.
According to a geologist with Maryland's Department of Natural Resources, Rebecca Kavage Adams, a significant number of people—over 770,000—reported feeling the quake. "Every now and then, we do feel one because it does get above 2," Kavage Adams relayed to CBS News, reiterating the unusual but not unprecedented nature of such seismic activity in the region. It appears this isn't the area's first encounter with the Earth's subtle rumbles—last year saw both a 1.8 magnitude quake in Montgomery County and a more noticeable 4.8 magnitude quake centered in New Jersey, the effects of which resonated through the northeastern U.S.
