America is grappling with coast to coast natural disasters. Learn all about the earthquake that rattled Massachusetts on January 27.
2025 started off on a precarious note for many people. Throughout January 2025, the United States has dealt with coast to coast natural disasters, with the most damaging being the wildfires in Southern California. Most recently, however, Massachusetts was rattled by an earthquake on Monday, January 27, and Boston residents felt the tremor. The rare event led to mass confusion as many took to social media to express their shock and confusion.
Learn all about the earthquake from today and how it affected Boston below.
Was There an Earthquake in Boston Today?
We can confirm that a small earthquake occurred at 10:22am. Shaking was felt countywide. No risk remains to the public. To assist our dispatch centers, please DO NOT call 911 unless it is an emergency. pic.twitter.com/TMB6pjW42v
— York County EMA (@YorkCountyEMA) January 27, 2025
The epicenter of the January 27 earthquake was not in Boston. However, Bostonians felt the shake at around 10:30 a.m. local time. According to multiple outlets, the epicenter of the quake was more than 40 miles away from Portland, Maine, off the coast of New England. The tremor was measured to be a 3.8.
The York County EMA tweeted a confirmation regarding the incident, writing, “We can confirm that a small earthquake occurred at 10:22am. Shaking was felt countywide. No risk remains to the public. To assist our dispatch centers, please DO NOT call 911 unless it is an emergency.”
Has Boston Had an Earthquake Before?
Believe it or not, Boston has had a few earthquakes in the past, but most of them didn’t bring major damage to the region. According to Earthquake Track, a 1.7-magnitude quake hit near Townsend, Massachusetts, in late 2024. Over the past five years, Massachusetts has had a handful of earthquakes ranging from .7 to 3.6 tremors.
Since the most recent earthquake was a 3.8, this is Massachusetts’ biggest rattle in five years. The U.S. Geological Survey initially measured the quake to be a 4.1 before lowering it to a 3.8.
Where Else in New England Felt the Earthquake Today?
The USGS reported that people from Boston to Portland, Maine, felt the shaking from the earthquake today. People in New Hampshire also felt the tremor, including the Seacoast, Dover, Manchester, Concord, Keene and Claremont.