Friday, March 22, 2013

Mysterious shaking rocks Southern New Jersey (video)

A mysterious ground shaking caused a social media stir Tuesday, with many in Atlantic and Cape May County reporting that they felt some sort of tremor Tuesday afternoon.

Numerous people throughout the region say they felt the shaking, with reports from Wildwood to Egg Harbor Township. A Cape May Court House woman said she felt the first shake at 3:09, and another 15 minutes later.

“Felt it twice thought my windows were going to come crashing in,” one North Wildwood resident wrote on the Wildwood Leader’s Facebook page.

For others, however, the shaking went unnoticed, or was mistaken for a large truck passing.

The US Geological Survey did not have any information about an earthquake in this region at this time. A spokeswoman said she had not heard any other reports, and soon after the shaking a seismologist at the USGS said he had seen no indication of an earthquake, but promised to report back if he found any sign that seismic activity caused the shake.

North Wildwood Mayor Bill Henfey said that the city’s dispatch had received two phone calls about the tremor, and that Lower Township had some phone calls as well.

Many reported feeling two tremors in a row, but nothing too serious.

Roger Wilco Liquor in Ventnor County
Other media have indicated there were several calls to Cape May County's Office of Emergency Management.

A similarly mysterious event took place last October. At that time, numerous residents reported hearing a rumbling over a large area, but officials saw no sign of an earthquake, and no other cause was apparent.

In August of 2011, a massive earthquake that closed the Washington Monument sent tremors felt in this the area, and throughout the Eastern seaboard. Earthquakes are rare in southern New Jersey.


Source: Shore News Today

Source: NBC 10 Philadelphia

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