Columbia, MD – A rare earthquake struck central Maryland on Monday evening, with light shaking felt between Baltimore and Washington, D.C., according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The magnitude 2.5 quake was recorded at 5:17 p.m. EDT about 4 kilometers east of Riverside, Maryland, at a depth of roughly 7.7 kilometers. The tremor was felt across several nearby communities including Columbia, Ellicott City, and northern Prince George’s County, with more than 70 “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted to USGS within the first hour.
There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, but residents described brief, low rumbling and windows rattling for several seconds. Such events are uncommon for Maryland, which experiences only a handful of measurable quakes each decade.
Geologists say small quakes like this one are generally not dangerous, though they can occasionally be felt over wide areas due to the dense rock structure of the eastern U.S. The USGS National Earthquake Information Center continues to monitor the area for aftershocks, though none have been reported so far.
For more information and community intensity updates, visit earthquake.usgs.gov.
