UPDATE: Yes, that was an earthquake. Strongest since Nisqually

3:05 AM: Texters reported feeling an earthquake, and indeed there was one, 4.7 magnitude – here’s the map. Epicenter was east of Everett. If you felt it, you can tell the USGS about it here.

3:17 AM: The USGS has revised the magnitude of the 2:51 am quake to 4.4.

3:25 AM: 4.4 isn’t huge but certainly the strongest in the region in quite some time. Here’s the page showing recent Puget Sound quakes. First quake of at least 4 magnitude since February 2017. (Here’s the list of other 4-or-greater quakes in our region, going back half a century. This was the second-strongest since the 2001 Nisqually quake.)

3:42 AM: Scientists have revised the magnitude again, now to 4.6. If that holds, it’s the highest-magnitude quake since Nisqually.

4:02 AM: One more link before we go back off watch for a while – the aftershocks are shown here.

58 Replies to "UPDATE: Yes, that was an earthquake. Strongest since Nisqually"

  • Erithan July 12, 2019 (3:10 am)

    Oh man thanks for the update! Scared me wasn’t sure if that’s what it was.

  • martin July 12, 2019 (3:12 am)

    Weeeeeeee

  • m July 12, 2019 (3:15 am)

    Woke me up. 

  • Ronda July 12, 2019 (3:18 am)

    Wow, woke me out of a sound sleep. Wondered who or what was shaking my bed. Thanks for the heads up. Felt it in Lynnwood

    • Rick July 12, 2019 (7:02 am)

      I’m married so I knew it was an earthquake shaking my bed.

      • Graciano July 12, 2019 (12:40 pm)

        And your spouse/partner probably thinks the same thing! LOL!!!

  • AlkiWendy July 12, 2019 (3:20 am)

    Felt it on Alki.

  • John Skerratt July 12, 2019 (3:23 am)

    I didn’t feel it in Fauntleroy. Am I the only one?

    • WSB July 12, 2019 (3:25 am)

      We were asleep here in Upper Fauntleroy so missed it (thanks again to the texters for letting us know). A 4.4 isn’t huge even if you’re right at the epicenter but some people are more sensitive than others…

      • KK July 12, 2019 (3:28 am)

        We were awake for it here (between Junction and Admiral) as our dog woke us up just before it happened!

    • Sue H July 12, 2019 (5:56 am)

      Slept through it here in Gatewood.

      • KM July 12, 2019 (7:43 am)

        Same!

    • HS July 12, 2019 (3:57 pm)

      Nor in Westwood. My pet didn’t even wake me up.

  • carole July 12, 2019 (3:28 am)

    Was reading in bed when the shaking started. Felt like a tiny aftershock as well.

  • Elise July 12, 2019 (3:32 am)

    Woke me up – near Admiral and California. Thanks for reporting on it in the middle of the night! 

    • Beata July 12, 2019 (11:08 am)

      The same here, same location!

  • ITotallyAgreeWithYou July 12, 2019 (3:40 am)

    I woke to squeaking and a low rumble, thought it was a familiar small pickup driving by,  then felt shaking and knew it was an earthquake. Sat up in bed and my cat was sitting next to it looking at me and it’s now staying close. 

  • Matthew Aspin July 12, 2019 (3:41 am)

    Woke me up in the Alaska Junction.

  • wsresident July 12, 2019 (3:45 am)

    Having a night away at Tulalip and up on the 12th floor it felt more like a rolling! 

    • John July 12, 2019 (2:03 pm)

      It’s not uncommon for large buildings like that to have rods Within the support structure that allow it to sway a little bit. It can help keep the building from coming down

  • St July 12, 2019 (3:50 am)

    I felt it. 

  • Janine July 12, 2019 (3:51 am)

    Woke up to house shaking hard here in Woods Creek. Our horses, here on the farm, are still upset…

  • KD July 12, 2019 (4:08 am)

    Was in our work parking garage in SODO on the 4th. floor.. got out of there fast! At first few seconds I thought it was the freight trains a few blocks away, but then realized what it was when the rock and roll shaking kept going. Whoa!!

    • junctioneer July 12, 2019 (9:10 am)

      Just a general note, I’m not really sure your situation so not really trying to correct, but often it’s more dangerous to “get out of there” than to stay put somewhere. 

      • KD July 12, 2019 (9:04 pm)

        Well, it’s 5 floors of concrete parking garage that takes up half a block. Nope, I didn’t want to ‘pancake’ in case the tremors got stronger. I sat for the 20-25 secs. or so of the quake, then turned my vehicle on quicker than I intended to and got outta there! We can all still visualize the I-880 down in Oakland Bay Area in the large quake of 1989 and the people that were crushed to death by only one concrete level. I had five.

  • Barb July 12, 2019 (4:15 am)

    Near Morgan Junction also woke me up from deep sleep. 

  • LatteRose July 12, 2019 (4:32 am)

    Woke me up – Admiral neighborhood.

  • Kera July 12, 2019 (4:42 am)

    I didnt feel it – in Fauntleroy – Nope! 

    • MJ July 12, 2019 (6:15 am)

      Glad to hear that! As somebody who works out of town ocassionally, I sure appreciate the info from everyone that posts on here!

  • Julie Yost July 12, 2019 (5:10 am)

    I’m in Monroe, Brown road. At 2:52, bed shaking. Lasted 3 or 4 seconds. Is the epicenter really out in this area? 

  • KC July 12, 2019 (5:39 am)

    What earthquake. Was sound asleep only knew about it from reading it hereThanks for letting me know

  • Franci July 12, 2019 (5:41 am)

    In the Gatewood neighborhood and slept through it.

  • newnative July 12, 2019 (6:04 am)

    It woke me up. I came  here at 3 to see if anything had been reported. Saw nothing online, went to bed. 

  • Stacy July 12, 2019 (6:14 am)

    First place I checked this a.m. was here…woke up at 2:48 a.m. feeling itand want to make sure  I wasn’t crazy .

  • Yma July 12, 2019 (6:33 am)

    Bed shaking woke me & hubby up – top of Gatewood. Kid slept through it. Funny though- I found it interesting but not scary. Must’ve been too tired. Now I’m definitely tired.

  • Jenny July 12, 2019 (6:44 am)

    I’m in Alki and didn’t wake up from it – only knew because my sister in Lake Stevens texted

  • Katrina July 12, 2019 (6:47 am)

    Slept right through it in N Delridge. And my cats are acting fine today. 

  • Chris July 12, 2019 (6:51 am)

    Dog very upset before, during and after….barking….in Admiral District.   Dog now sound asleep.

  • CKG July 12, 2019 (6:57 am)

    I didn’t feel it (Delridge) and my shoes and car keys are under the table!

  • miws July 12, 2019 (7:02 am)

    Only found out about it when logging on here to WSB at about 5:15 this morning. Up on the “plateau” on 16th in S. Delridge and didn’t (consciously) feel it. Typically, I wake up a few times a night and did so sometime after 3:00, but not sure exactly when. So, I was either asleep and slept right through it, asleep and it woke me up was unaware that’s the reason I woke, *or*, was fully awake and simply didn’t feel it. —Mike

  • Manning July 12, 2019 (8:06 am)

    It woke me up from a dead sleep here on Manning but realized it wasn’t big enough to worry about so I fell right back asleep.

  • helpermonkey July 12, 2019 (8:24 am)

    didn’t feel a thing in Arbor Heights! 

  • Alkidog July 12, 2019 (8:43 am)

    Whether you felt the shaking or not might depend on the soil conditions on which a home or apartment is built. West Seattle’s shoreline is built on sandy soil which amplifies the shaking. 

  • Miyu July 12, 2019 (9:34 am)

    Woke me up in Gatewood. Thought my dog was kicking my bed in her sleep.

  • Layla July 12, 2019 (9:36 am)

    Sounds like a personal problem, Rick.

  • Just wondering July 12, 2019 (9:39 am)

    So again.  Are you and your family ready for “the big one”?

  • A-Red July 12, 2019 (10:13 am)

    My whole family woke up to the shaking (Admiralty Heights), but my dog seemed to sleep through it. Aren’t animals supposed to sense these things coming and freak out?Super disappointed in my dog for not giving us adequate warning.

    • EmbarrassingDogFails July 12, 2019 (7:36 pm)

      Maybe sit the dog down and tell him how disappointed you are and then ground him – no phone or video games for a week.  You can bet he’ll be more in tune with his responsibilities as your dog in the future.

  • 3xcharmama July 12, 2019 (10:53 am)

    Husband felt it, I was asleep. He woke me up. Fun times. 

  • White Centaur July 12, 2019 (12:32 pm)

    Did anyone in White Center feel it? I was awake in bed (insomnia) and didn’t feel a thing.

    • Ty July 12, 2019 (1:09 pm)

      Also in White Center and didn’t feel a thing. I got to bed maybe an hour before it happened though so I was probably way too tired to be bothered.

    • m July 12, 2019 (4:48 pm)

      Felt it 2 blocks north of Roxbury. 

  • Graciano July 12, 2019 (12:44 pm)

    North Shorewood…not a thing here.

  • Bradley July 12, 2019 (5:18 pm)

    Felt it in Arbor Heights but it didn’t feel like an earthquake. I thought it was a big gust of wind or a sonic boom.

  • Ian July 12, 2019 (6:54 pm)

    I’m at the North end of Delridge Way SW in West Seattle and thought I was having weird muscle spasms. I got up and it stopped and realized it had to be an earthquake. First one I’ve experienced.

  • Mj July 12, 2019 (10:21 pm)

    Lost a big branch on my plum tree that was full with fruits.  The earthquake shaking broke it.

    • Jethro Marx July 12, 2019 (11:56 pm)

      Sounds like the earth oughta pay you some compensatory damages, what?

Sorry, comment time is over.