You weren't imagining things. If you were in Dutchess County on Thursday, October 22nd you may have felt the earth shake.

Around 12:30 pm on October 22nd, reports came in of Hudson Valley residents in the areas of Stormville, Fishkill, Poughquag and Brewster feeling a rumble and hearing a loud booming sound.

Hudson Valley Weather then reported that there was some sort of disturbance on their radar that they were calling a possible "small earthquake or sonic boom."

Official confirmation has finally come in from the USGS Earthquake Hazard Program. They are reporting that a 2.2 magnitude earthquake was felt in Merrit Park in Fishkill.

While not the most common, earthquakes have been known to happen in New York. In the past several years there have been a handful that has been felt in the Hudson Valley. Back in 2011, there was an earthquake that started in Washington DC that was strong enough to be felt in parts of the Valley.

Back in October of 2019, parts of Rockland County near the New York State Thruway felt the rumblings of a 1.1 magnitude quake. 

According to the Northeast State Emergency Consortium, the first earthquake that took place in New York was back on December 19, 1737. From 1973 until 2016 they've recorded over 550 earthquakes.

There have been 5 earthquakes in the past that have caused notable damage, including a 5.0 magnitude earthquake back in 2002 in the Au Sable Forks area.

In the event of an earthquake, you should "Drop, Cover and Hold on!" USGS.Gov explains: "If you are INDOORS -- STAY THERE! Get under a desk or table and hang on to it or move into a hallway or against an inside wall. STAY CLEAR of windows, fireplaces, and heavy furniture or appliances."

Did you feel the most recent Hudson Valley earthquake? Was there any damage to your home or the area around it?

 

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