An earthquake shook parts of New England Sunday morning.

What You Need To Know

  • The earthquake's preliminary magnitude was 4.0

  • It happened at 8:10 a.m. Eastern Time

  • There is no tsunami threat

The earthquake struck just off the coast of southern Massachusetts, south of the city of New Bedford.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) gave it a preliminary rating of 4.0. Early reports indicated some minor damage, including a National Weather Service meteorologist who noted cracks in basement drywall.

The quake was felt across a good share of Massachusetts, as well as Rhode Island and Connecticut.

Map of where public reports of shaking were felt. (USGS)

 

Earthquakes in this part of the country are generally weak but people farther away can feel the shakes moreso than the earthquakes that happen in the western U.S., according to the USGS.

The USGS also notes that, while New England is far from plate boundaries that often cause earthquakes, there are smaller and even unknown fault lines in the region that can cause tremors.