Get shaken awake early Tuesday? Small earthquake rattles near Whatcom County school
A small earthquake shook beneath Whatcom County early Tuesday, only a couple hundred yards away from Meridian High School.
The quake initially was measured with a 2.8 magnitude, but was later downgraded to a 2.6-magnitude temblor according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s web page on the quake. It struck at 2:49 a.m. July 20, approximately 6.9 miles north of Bellingham, 4.7 miles east of Ferndale and 6.2 miles south-southwest of Lynden.
The epicenter was located a few hundred feet away from the athletic fields at Meridian High, according to Google Maps.
The quake was measured 19.5 kilometers beneath the earth’s surface, the USGS reported.
As of Tuesday morning, 16 people had reported feeling the shaking on the USGS’ “Did You Feel It?” page, with the majority of the reports coming from northern parts of Whatcom County.
Quakes of less than magnitude 3.0 are common, and tens of thousands are reported worldwide every year, according to the USGS. A quake of magnitude 1.0 to 3.0 is not felt except by a very few under especially favorable conditions, according to the USGS.
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This story was originally published July 20, 2021 at 7:31 AM.
