According to USGS, a weak earthquake rattled southeastern Connecticut earlier today. At 12:10 this afternoon, a weak magnitude 1.8 earthquake struck from a depth of 5 km just outside of Groton between New London and Mystic.  Today’s earthquake struck south and east of another weak magnitude 1.9 earthquake that hit on January 7 near East Haddam, roughly 15 miles away.

Earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.0 or less are rarely felt or heard by people, according to USGS,  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.

Connecticut is  infamous for its “Moodus Noises.”  The area has had a history of seismic activity and due to the geology there, even minor earthquakes create loud booms, rumbles, and/or mysterious sounds.

Reports of these “Moodus Noises” stretch back centuries;  Native Americans called the area Machimoodus, which means “Place of Bad Noises.” They attributed the noises to evil spirits and Gods. Years later,  English colonists later associated the noises with witches or the Devil.

Connecticut is no stranger to earthquakes. Beyond the January 7 earthquake and today’s, damaging earthquakes do occur from time to time in the state. The strongest earthquake to strike on record struck on May 16, 1791. Estimated to be a magnitude 4.4 to 5.0 event, it knocked down chimneys and stone walls, threw open doors in homes, and also created a fissure in the ground several yards long. That seismic event was actually 2 earthquakes in quick succession and was followed by dozens of lighter aftershocks.