Rare Earthquake Shakes Parts of Upstate New York – Did You Feel It?

One of the great things about living in the Northeast is that - for the most part -  we don't have the real threat of unpredictable natural disasters that people in other parts of the country or world do.  For instance, we're not getting many hurricanes, tornadoes, avalanches, landslides, wildfires, and droughts, but if we do, it's relatively mild.

But on occasion, Mother Nature can whip up a little Northeast excitement in the form of an actual earthquake, and that was the case on Tuesday.  It was a mild one, but one that could have been felt here in Upstate New York if you were near the epicenter of it at around 1130 am.

According to WHEC News, the United States Geological Survey reported a minor earthquake at 11:30 a.m. near Warsaw, Wyoming County, which is about 39 miles southwest of Rochester. and about 400 miles west of Albany.

According to data by the USGS, the registered 2.6 on the movement meter is one of the larger ones to hit our area in some time.

Back in March of 2020, research shows that an earthquake was detected in South Glens Falls a bit bigger than the one in New York on Tuesday.  The rumble in S Glens Falls registered a 3.1 on the movement scale according to the source.

Experts say that earthquakes like the one detected in Upstate NY may happen only a few times a year, and can sometimes be felt, but they typically cause very little damage.

According to WHEC News, the quake was "one of six that the USGS recorded in the lower 48 states on Tuesday. A magnitude of 5.5 is typically the minimum needed to cause damage to buildings."