How to tell if an earthquake is an ‘earthquakes’ – Today
How to help the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) – and its mission to identify and alert people to potential emergencies – today published a statement in response to a growing number of earthquakes, including one that struck the US state of Washington this past weekend.
The Washington Post reported on Sunday that a magnitude 6.2 quake in Bellingham, Washington on Sunday morning left a power line and home in ruins, as well as damaging damage to buildings and a bridge.
The Bellingham Fire Department was called in, but the cause was never determined, the Post reported.
According to a NEIC statement, the Bellingham earthquake was initially classified as a “moderate” earthquake.
“But after several hours, it was determined that this was an earthquake, and the Washington State Department of Emergency Management (DEMA) declared a State of Emergency,” the statement said.
A “mild” earthquake in Washington, which caused widespread damage and shut down Interstate 5, has been labeled an “earthquaking” earthquake by the National Seismic Network (NSN).
The NSN says the Bellingham quake is “a moderate” earthquake, but it’s still possible to feel tremors.
The Washington State Office of Emergency Services (OSES) also has a statement that states the earthquake was “not a natural event” but a “magnitude 6.1” and caused “significant damage and injuries.”
A magnitude 6 magnitude earthquake is a strong earthquake, a category that includes a 7.0 magnitude earthquake.
This is a stronger earthquake than a magnitude 7, or a magnitude 8.0, earthquake.
It’s also a higher-magnification quake.
“While the Bellingsham event may be a ‘moderate’ event, it is still an earthquake,” the NSN statement said, adding that the Bellington earthquake is “not considered an earthquake” because of its “minor magnitude.”
“The National Seistrict is aware of the situation and is working with state and local governments to assist with emergency response,” the Bellinger statement read.
“This is a developing situation, and we are still working to determine the full extent of the damage and the number of fatalities.”
While there is no official definition of a magnitude of a quake, the NSNs most recent “Earthquake Atlas” report says that a 5.9 magnitude earthquake in New York City, in 2015, is classified as an “Earthshock” earthquake – a category of earthquake that is defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency as “a series of damaging, localized, large-scale events that result in significant damage and/or fatalities.”
“An earthquake with a magnitude 5.0 is classified by the NSNS as a ‘major’ earthquake,” according to the Atlas report.
The Bellingham event is not a major earthquake, according to a report published in the Wall Street Journal on Monday.
A 5.8 magnitude earthquake struck in Washington state in February.
That quake, which had a magnitude-5.7, hit the city’s eastern side, injuring more than 30 people and causing significant damage.
The Wall Street and Washington Post both said that the magnitude 6 Bellingham quake is an “miserable” earthquake with “a magnitude of 6.5.”
The Washington State Geological Survey (WSDGS) said the quake was a “minimal” quake, a 5-4.9, and that damage to homes, bridges, roads and other infrastructure was limited to the city of Bellingham.
A magnitude 5 earthquake in North Dakota on Monday also triggered a small-scale power outage that was not connected to the Bellin-Salem power plant.
The power was still on Sunday, however.
According the Wall St. Journal, the Washington National Guard was called to the scene and the Bellins-Salems plant remained offline until around 8:30 p.m.
ET on Sunday.
A number of people were injured and at least one person died in that quake.
