2.5 quake measured in Rangeley




A 2.5 magnitude earthquake centered near Saddleback was registered in the early morning hours of Feb. 11. (U.S.G.S. map)

A 2.5 magnitude earthquake centered near Saddleback was registered in the early morning hours of Feb. 11. (U.S.G.S. map)

RANGELEY — The U.S. Geological Survey registered a 2.5 magnitude earthquake Feb. 11 that centered near the base of Saddleback at 1:13 a.m. The earthquake measured 6.5 kilometers below the surface.

People in Rangeley and the surrounding area woke up to confusion and loud rumbling. “It felt like very powerful thunder. The house didn’t shake, but the sound was very loud,” stated Tamara Richel of Rangeley.

The Town of Rangeley reported no damage had occurred as a result of the quake.

Earthquakes are not uncommon in Maine. Over the last 30 years the USGS has recorded more than 40 earthquakes including a 4.0 magnitude quake centered near Hollis Center in 2012; a 3.6 magnitude quake near Dixfield in 2000; and a 2.5 magnitude quake near Jay in May 2015. The most recent New England earthquake to cause moderate damage occurred in 1940 in central New Hampshire and with a magnitude of 5.6.


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