Didja feel it?

ONALASKA, WA --  An earthquake measuring 2.9 on the Richter Scale hit near the town of Onalaska, today at 1:01 pm.

The quake's epicenter near Onalaska is located 33.2 miles south southeast of Olympia.  The depth of the quake is estimated by the U.S. Geological Survey to be approximately 4.9 miles underground. 

This was what scientists would call a "minor" earthquake; it might have been felt by some people close to the epicenter but would likely cause no damage to buildings.  Minor earthquakes in Washington happen more than once a week. 

Earthquakes are described by geologists using the words: micro, minor, light, moderate, strong, major and great.  The most recent "strong" quake to hit this area was what has become known as The Nisqually Earthquake on Feb. 28, 2001 and measured 6.1. 

It is our policy to report on earthquakes in our region that measure 2.5 and above on the Richter Scale.