2.8 magnitude earthquake rattles northern Delaware, southwest New Jersey

July 2, 2009

A rare earthquake, registering 2.8 on the Richter scale, struck northern Delaware and southwest New Jersey on Wednesday. The earthquake occurred at 9:44:43 am local time, and was centered near Pennsville, New Jersey, or about 30 miles southwest of Philadelphia, according to the USGS.

Despite being felt by many people in the area, officials say it was too small to cause any significant damage. At Woodstown, New Jersey, rattling lasted for just seconds.

Salem County 911 received approximately 150 calls, but no injuries or deaths were reported. Robin Weinstein, a spokesman for the county department of emergency services, noted "The engineering department will be out doing site inspections".

Residents initially feared the rumbling was caused by an explosion.

Shock waves from the earthquake were registered from as far away as Claymont, Delaware.