HOODSPORT, Wash. – A minor earthquake rattled parts of western Washington early Thursday, centered deep beneath the Olympic National Forest northwest of Hoodsport. The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 2.8 quake around 12:56 a.m. local time, roughly 21 kilometers north-northwest of Hoodsport and about 45 kilometers deep. While the shaking was weak, the event was felt in communities along the Hood Canal and as far east as Bremerton.
According to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington, no damage or injuries were reported. The quake’s depth helped reduce surface shaking, but residents in Mason and Jefferson counties described a brief rumble lasting only a few seconds. The network classified the tremor as a routine tectonic adjustment within the deeper crust beneath the Olympic Mountains.
Local emergency managers reminded residents that even small quakes serve as an important preparedness reminder. Kitsap and Mason County emergency offices urged households to secure heavy furniture, update emergency kits, and know safe spots indoors for “Drop, Cover, and Hold On.” Washington State Department of Transportation crews reported no impacts to nearby routes, including U.S. 101 and State Route 3.
According to the USGS, minor aftershocks are not expected, though similar small events occur several times a year in the region. Western Washington lies in one of the nation’s most seismically active zones, where deep and shallow quakes occasionally ripple beneath the Puget Sound basin.
