Early morning earthquake rattles thousands in northwest Oregon, geologists say

An early morning 4.4-magnitude earthquake shook thousands in northwest Oregon on Friday, Oct. 7, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The quake, about 8 miles deep, hit about 10 miles east southeast of Lacomb in Linn County just before 6 a.m., according to the USGS.

A little more than 3,000 people from as far away as Eugene and near Longview, Washington, reported feeling the shake, according to the agency.

“Just felt my first ever earthquake here in Eugene, Oregon. Looks like it was a magnitude 4.4 roughly 40-50 miles away. It rattled me for a second -- literally and figuratively,” one user wrote on Twitter.

Others made light of the situation.

“Just experienced a 4.4 magnitude earthquake here in Oregon. I think seismologists in California might call this a ‘mild cough,’” one Twitter user joked.

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.

Lacomb is about 40 miles southeast of Salem.

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