2 Small Earthquakes Felt West Of Mount Rainier

EATONVILLE, WA - Two relatively strong earthquakes hit Saturday night and early Sunday morning in a mountainous area between Mount Rainier and Eatonville. The first quake, a magnitude 2.1, happened near 9:30 p.m. Saturday. The second stronger quake, a magnitude 2.7, happened just before 4 a.m. Sunday, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.

Although the quakes were likely too weak to be felt nearby, they were the largest in recent weeks in the Puget Sound area. Since Friday, three extremely small - all less than a magnitude 1 - quakes have been detected under Mount Rainier, according to the PNSN.

A magnitude 2.1 was detected near Oso on Aug. 29, and that was the most recent quake above a magnitude 2 in the Puget Sound area.

There have been a number of stronger quakes off the Pacific Coast, according to the PNSN. Three quakes, all around a magnitude 3.3, were measured about 300 miles west of Dapoe Bay, Ore., on Saturday.

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