Rare quake shudders through Northeast; centered in Delaware

Dover, Del. (WTXF) - The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 4.1 magnitude earthquake centered in Delaware.

It struck at 4:47 p.m. Thursday, and was centered about 6 miles (10 kilometers) east-northeast of Dover, Delaware, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. . People from as far away as Washington and New York City reported that they felt the movement.

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) seismologist Jessica Turner says scientists consider this temblor "light" by earthquake standards. It's the biggest on record for the area (not factoring in that 5.8 magnitude quake in 2011 that welled up from the earth near Louisa, Virginia).

The last quake greater than a magnitude 3.0 centered around here struck south of Salem, New Jersey in 1990. It was a 3.2. 1973 saw a 3.8 quake hit just across the river from Wilmington, Delaware. Turner tells FOX 29's Lucy Noland the USGS got reports from people across a wide swath of the Northeast saying they felt that one.

Turner says we've got to jump in the time machine for the next biggest quake. 1871 was the year. Wilmington, once again the area. The USGS says reports of damage came in from not only Wilmington but also people who lived in New Castle and Oxford, Pennsylvania.

So what fault line is behind tonight's quake? The USGS has no idea. It takes a series of earthquakes to reveal the Earth's many fault lines and Turner says, "We don't have a history of a lot of earthquakes in the Delaware Bay area or other areas around Philadelphia so it's a big mystery."

There were no reports of damage in Philadelphia as a result of the earthquake

This is a developing story, please stay with FOX 29 for updates.