A weak earthquake struck West Virginia south and east of Charleston this morning. According to USGS, at 3:47 am this morning from a depth of 9.7 km, a magnitude 2.3 earthquake struck near the town of Meadow Bridge in southeastern West Virginia. There were no reports of any damage or injuries. USGS days today’s earthquake was the first to strike the area within 250 km of today’s earthquake over the last three weeks.

According to USGS, earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or less are rarely felt or heard by people, but once they exceed 2.0 , more and more people can feel them. While damage is possible with magnitude 3.0 events or greater, significant damage and casualties usually don’t occur until the magnitude of a seismic event rises to a 5.5 or greater rated event.

 

The West Virginia State Resiliency Office urges residents of the state to be prepared for the possibility of earthquakes even though they don’t happen with much frequency or intensity there. The State Resiliency Office writes, ” Earthquakes happen infrequently in West Virginia and are rarely above 2.5 on the magnitude scale meaning that they are rarely felt, and if they are felt, only do minor damage. However, it is not outside the realm of possibility for a larger scale earthquake to occur, and being prepared for one may help save a life.”  The State Resiliency Office recommends that if an earthquake occurs, stay outside if you are outside and stay inside if you are inside. The greatest risk during an earthquake is from falling debris. Make sure to move away from any buildings and utility lines both above and below ground. The most likely area for debris from a building to fall is around doorways and close to the outer walls of buildings. If you are outside, go to an open area devoid of trees and buildings. If you happen to be driving, pull over and stop while setting your parking brake.