Earthquake Rattles Northeast Ohio

The U.S. Geological Survey says a 4.0 earthquake shook Northeast Ohio on Monday morning.

According to the USGS, the earthquake originated off-shore in Lake Erie, near Eastlake, and impacted three counties, including Cuyahoga. The quake may have been felt as far south as Canton, as far west as Lakewood, and as far east as Perry, based on responses submitted to the USGS.

"It was a loud boom and the whole building shook," Carol Tuttle, who works at the Eastlake administrative offices of the Willoughby-Eastlake Public Library, told Patch. She said the shaking lasted less than four seconds and didn't do any damage.

"My first thought was that something fell on the building," she added.

Michigan Tech says that a 4.0 earthquake is often felt, but usually causes only minor damage in surrounding areas. The USGS classifies moderate earthquakes as 5.3 and strong earthquakes as 6.3. The Monday earthquake failed to reach either plateau.

Residents in several Northeast Ohio cities have reported feeling the earthquake. Patch has spoken to people in Cleveland Heights, Independence, Valley View, and Parma who all said they felt the earthquake. The USGS said it has gathered responses from people as far west as Avon Lake and Lakewood who claimed to have felt the earthquake.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) said there have been approximately 200 earthquakes of varying magnitude in Ohio since 1776 . Northeast Ohio is one of the more earthquake-prone regions of the state, having experienced more than 100 earthquakes since 1836, most beneath Lake Erie.

In January 1986, the ODNR said, there was a 5.0 earthquake that originated in southern Lake County and caused minor damage to buildings. The quake was felt in 10 other states and southern Canada.