3.7-magnitude earthquake rattles western Washington as most were asleep, geologists say

A 3.7-magnitude earthquake rattled parts of western Washington in the early hours of Thursday, Sept. 8, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The 14.5-mile deep quake hit near Poulsbo at 1:08 a.m., according to the USGS. More than 2,400 people from as far as Mount Vernon and Tacoma reported feeling the tremor to the agency.

Poulsbo is about 20 miles northwest of Seattle on the Toandos Peninsula. It has a population of more than 10,000 people.

Some people took to Twitter to report feeling the quake.

“Felt this morning’s #earthquake from out near Poulsbo ... now we’re all awake and the jet lag feels like it’s never going to end,” one person wrote.

Another person also said they felt “a little earthquake” minutes after it rattled the area.

And USGS officials reminded people the quake didn’t impact any of Washington’s volcanoes, including Mount Rainier, which is about 80 miles from where the earthquake originated.

A lenticular cloud hovering over Mount Rainier stirred panic in the area Wednesday, Sept. 7, with many confusing it as a sign of volcanic activity.

“It is not related to any of Washington’s volcanoes, but it is a good reminder of the potential for strong earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest,” USGS said in a tweet.

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale.

Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Quakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.