Magnitude 2.8 earthquake reported near West Gardiner, Maine

First there were great white sharks in the waters off the coast of Maine, now a 2.8 magnitude earthquake hits near West Gardiner, Maine.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The United States Geological Survey, better known as USGS, is the government agency that, among other things, detects earthquakes and their magnitudes worldwide. On Sunday, July 28 at 2:50 p.m., USGS detected a magnitude 2.8 earthquake in Maine near West Gardiner with the epicenter at these coordinates: 44.236°N 69.862°W. That’s roughly here on the map, south of Augusta and northeast of West Gardiner.

These coordinates are not 100% accurate as the USGS is still reporting some uncertainty in the data at this time. The actual epicenter could be somewhere within about 4.5 miles of where this pin is on the map above.

How dangerous was this earthquake?

Not much. There were reports of people feeling it, but the USGS says that a Richter scale level between 2 and 3 is felt only by a few people at rest, especially on the upper floors of buildings. Delicately suspended objects may sway, but that’s about it.

Earthquakes of 2 to 3 on the Richter scale are common and happen hundreds of times a day all over the world. That amounts to millions of these small earthquakes a year, all of which do little to no damage. It’s when you get to 7 or 8 on the Richter scale that major damage can occur. So we’re doing just fine here in Maine.

How many earthquakes have been recorded in Maine?

The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation, and Forestry keeps a record of earthquakes felt in Maine from 1997 to the present. Four earthquakes have been felt in Maine in 2024, but not all originated in Maine. One was in New Jersey and was lightly felt by some people.

The largest earthquake to hit Maine occurred on October 16, 2012, when a magnitude 4.5 quake struck in East Waterboro, 13 miles northwest of Saco. Damage was minimal.

The largest earthquake ever to hit Maine occurred on March 21, 1904, and centered in Eastport, Maine. The earthquake is not on the Richter scale, as the scale was not invented until 1935, but modern estimates put the magnitude at 5.9.

There has never been an earthquake in Maine that caused major damage, so you can rest assured.