By: Chelsea Cozad

Residents of Dover, Delaware, were shocked by a rare earthquake that hit at about 4:45 on Thursday afternoon, November 30. It registered at a 4.1 magnitude on the Richter scale and was found to have originated about 6 miles northeast of Dover. Although no damage or injuries were reported, many residents felt the vibrations of the earthquake, some as far away as Baltimore and New York.

One California native, Gustavo Vila, recognized the shaking sensation immediately and stated, “It just felt like a train going by, but there aren’t any trains around here.” Scared office workers evacuated many buildings including the Capital, White House, and Pentagon. Master Cpl. Gary Fournier of Delaware State Police also stated, “We definitely felt it here [but] we have not received any reports of damage at this time. [My] house shook and you could hear things rattle. It sounded like a train and lasted about a second.”

Although there is the possibility for aftershocks, they aren’t typically capable of being more than one magnitude less than the original quake. Many residents were surprised by this occurrence, but luckily all cities affected escaped any substantial damage.