Virginia Earthquake

Rattles Newtown

By Andrew Gorosko

Depending on where you were in Newtown just before 2 pm on Tuesday, you either felt the earth suddenly vibrating or did not sense anything out of the ordinary.

What some people felt, at any rate, were the seismic waves that emanated from a rare 5.8-magnitude earthquake whose epicenter was located near Mineral, Va., which lies about 340 road miles southwest of Newtown.

Reports indicate that the temblors were felt by people along the East Coast from Maine to Georgia.

Paradoxically, while the earthquake was one of the strongest such events to hit the East Coast in decades, it caused relatively little physical damage.

At about 2 pm on Tuesday, Newtown police said they started receiving telephone calls from residents across town reporting that they had felt the shaking effects of what seemed to be an earthquake.

Police said they received those calls from areas including High Rock Road, Todds Road, Main Street, and Church Hill Road. Police said they got about eight calls immediately after the seismic waves passed through town.

Inside The Newtown Bee offices at 5 Church Hill Road, the floors of the building seemed to rapidly oscillate up and down for about 15 to 20 seconds.

“Once people realized what it was, they stopped calling,” said police Sergeant Aaron Bahamonde. Police received no reports of injuries or property damage stemming from the incident, he said.

 Similarly, Bill Halstead, the town’s director of emergency preparedness, said he had received no reports of injuries or damage due to the seismic waves that passed through the area.

The town did receive a call from a Hawleyville business on Mt Pleasant Road inquiring about the unusual vibrations, he said.

John Poeltl, the town’s chief building official, said that his office had received no damage reports stemming from the incident.

Dozens of The Bee’s followers on its Facebook page commented on the event shortly after it happened.

Reka Kurta-Cebulski observed, “Totally missed it. I was somewhere in my car on Hattertown Road. Didn’t feel it driving.”

Mary Ann Jacob said, “Kitchen moving and cabinets banging, but the other end of the house was silent...Eerie”

From New Milford, Sharon Balzarini Geegan wrote, “Stuff fell off my shelves.”

Joe Masso said, “Felt it here at my store on Dodgingtown Road.”

Sara Descheneaux said, “My entire desk moved and I work in Danbury.”

Rhonda Cullens commented, “Our house shook in Sandy Hook.”

Jan-Marie Sirois posted, “I work in Southbury and everything was shaking.”

Kitty Cody Dyke said, “I’m at work at Genesis Hair Studio at 4 Riverside Road and we did not feel anything.”

Lauri Epstein Belmuth stated, “I was sitting on my bed and it was unexplainably shaking. I couldn’t figure out why.”

Jeff Dugan said, “Felt it in New York City, 14th floor, 80th Street.”

Kayte Stochmal posted, “I now live in Anchorage, Alaska, and we have them rather often here, but it’s not too often you hear about them in Newtown.”

That was an understatement.