Community Corner

Quake Felt in Narberth, Lower Merion; Tell Patch About Your Experience

Local government officials reported no damage.

A tremor of 15 to 30 seconds shook Lower Merion and Narberth, and reportedly much of the northeast United States, about 1:55 p.m. Tuesday.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 5.9-magnitude earthquake centered in Virginia, 35 miles northwest of Richmond, happened at 1:51 p.m.

SEPTA train service on the Paoli-Thorndale line and the Cynwyd line, and others in the area, was suspended about 20 minutes but resumed about 2:50 p.m., with delays up to one hour expected. SEPTA trains have been restricted to 25 mph until tracks can be checked for structural damage.

Find out what's happening in Narberth-Bala Cynwydwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Within an hour of the quake, more than 2,000 people from South Carolina to New York had provided feedback to the USGS website about the strength of the earthquake where they were. Reports in the Philadelphia area indicated "weak" to "light" shaking, whereas shaking in the Washington D.C. and Richmond areas was apparently "moderate" to "strong".

Several Facebook fans of Narberth-Bala Cynwyd Patch shared their earthquake experiences.

Find out what's happening in Narberth-Bala Cynwydwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Officials in Lower Merion and Narberth said about 2:15 p.m. there had been no reports of earthquake-related damage.

The Lower Merion Police Department asked that residents limit their use of 9-1-1 to police, fire or ambulance emergencies at this time, according to an emergency alert for Montgomery County.


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