‘It Was Terrifying:’ Locals React To Freehold Earthquake

FREEHOLD, NJ – When Monmouth County local Maya Shaffer woke up to what sounded like a terrifying blast at her Freehold Borough residence in the middle of the night, the 17-year-old initially thought the sound came from a bomb.

“[We] came out of our rooms, looked at each other and said at the same time, 'did you feel that?'" said Susan, Maya’s mother.

"We searched outside. Went to the basement. Nothing had fallen. Maya, my 17-year-old, immediately thought it was a bomb … such a different world now.”

The 'bomb' turned out to be a 3.1 magnitude earthquake, lasting for about 3 seconds in the area of East Freehold. According to USGS, locals across Monmouth County later described scenarios not unlike Maya's: houses “shaking” amid sounds of thunder at approximately 2 in the morning.

"My husband thought a small plane hit the house. It sounded like a train went through our bedroom," wrote one Patch user.

The Monmouth County County Sheriff's Office reported that the quake was felt throughout Monmouth County and beyond, and was in "very close" proximity to the county's 9-1-1 Communications Center on Kozloski Road. Read more: 3.1 Magnitude Earthquake Recorded In New Jersey

According to the Sheriff’s Office, it received 125 calls within a half-hour period. There was no interruption of service or damage and no injuries were reported. No aftershocks were reported as well.

The USGS website has logged over 6,900 responses from residents who felt the quake as of Wednesday afternoon.

"A few minutes before the earthquake happened, my internet service went out. I did hear a loud bang coming outside when all of a sudden my house started shaking. A few photo frames started trembling that were hanging on the walls,” Chris Daly of Hazlet told Patch.

While some experienced the brief tremor opening drawers, moving chairs and even swinging chandeliers from ceilings in residences, others merely heard sounds of thunder, even expecting rainfall to come soon after.

“[My dog was] at my bedroom door warning me something was about to happen and low and behold the loud noise happened next,” wrote Patch user Lauren Krol. “It was exactly like thunder. In fact, that is what I thought it was, thunder. I immediately said to myself I was not expecting rain tonight, or any thunder/lightening! So I sat and waited for anymore to come … to no avail.”

Others in Monmouth County liked the quake to some sort of blast. Michael Clarke of Holmdel told Patch that he woke up around 2 a.m. to his house shaking “like a strong wind”. Clarke says that the first thought that came to mind was that an explosion had shook his house, except the blast emitted “no sound” at all.

“I heard what sounded like a very loud clap of thunder,” wrote Patch user Sharon Maybruch of Marlboro Township. “It felt like someone threw my house to the ground with tremendous force. It was terrifying! I never went to sleep because I was waiting for the aftershocks. Thankfully, I never felt any.”

USGS geophysicist Robert Sanders told NBC that an earthquake in the region is "relatively uncommon."

While uncommon, according to some residents, this morning’s events are considered to be only the latest addition to a very atypical year.

“I thought a big truck may be going by but it kept going so I thought maybe a military plane was flying low,” Patch user Shirley Nelson said. “The chandelier in my dining room swung slightly and the crystals on it rattled. It lasted about 5 seconds but it was enough to make me very nervous and then it stopped.

“I’m afraid to ask what else can 2020 bring.”

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