SEATTLE — A preliminary magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck the Puget Sound region Tuesday afternoon, according to initial earthquake reports. The earthquake struck at 2:05 p.m. near the epicenter and was centered about 3.4 miles west-northwest of Wauna, Washington, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It occurred at a depth of about 26 kilometers, or 16 miles. The preliminary location was about 8.3 miles north-northwest of Artondale, nearly 10 miles south-southwest of Port Orchard and about 12 miles south-southwest of Bremerton. It was also about 27 miles northeast of Olympia. The reports did not immediately provide information on injuries or damage, but no tsunami threat was reported. Sound Transit reported that Line 1 trains would share a track at the Angle Lake station until further notice due to seismic activity. Sound Transit also asked passengers to board all trains at the Federal Way Downtown platform. PREVIOUS | EARTHQUAKES IN WASHINGTON STATE Some people felt weak tremors in areas of Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia and Bremerton, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN). The ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system automatically detected the earthquake and (correctly) deemed it too small to trigger alerts via cell phones, PNSN reported. Half an hour after the earthquake, thousands of people presented Did you feel it? reports to the US Geological Survey, PNSN said. What does an earthquake feel like? A nearby large earthquake will feel like a sudden large shaking quickly followed by strong shaking that can last from a few seconds to a few minutes, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). If you felt this earthquake, please submit a report here. “The shaking will feel violent and it will be difficult to stand up,” the USGS said on its website. “The contents of your house will be a mess.” If you’re far from a large earthquake, the USGS said the sensation will be more similar to a soft thump and then a stronger, rolling tremor. The shaking may also feel strong for a while. If you are near the epicenter of a small earthquake, the USGS said it will feel like a smaller, stronger shake followed by a couple of stronger shakes that pass quickly. The USGS said that if you are far from a small earthquake, you most likely won’t feel it. Does the ground beneath you affect the feel of the earthquake? The short answer is yes. Both the type of bark material and the structure can affect how you feel, the USGS said.
