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Rare 3.6 Magnitude Earthquake 'Not What You'd Expect' In New England

BOSTON (CBS) – Sunday's earthquake that shook much of southern New England didn't cause significant damage. But it was still a rare occurrence for the region.

Homes from Cape Cod all the way to Long Island felt the magnitude 3.6 earthquake that originated in Buzzard's Bay.

WBZ-TV meteorologist Zack Green said that while it's not uncommon for an earthquake to rumble in New England, this was the first one of this magnitude since the 1970s.

earthquake damage
Earthquake damage in a basement in New Bedford, Nov. 8, 2020. (Photo credit: New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell)

Several dozen residents in New Bedford reported minor damage to their homes, most in basements where chimneys cracked.

New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell said residents should check their chimneys and basement and report any damage to the fire department.

"First of all it's crazy that we had an earthquake. It's not what you'd expect. We expect other natural disasters to occur from time to time but earthquakes are not one of them," Mitchell said, adding there have been previous instances along the same fault line in Buzzard's Bay. "This is probably not the last one we're going to get. Who knows when the next one will be?"

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