WA residents rattled after 4.2 magnitude earthquake shakes Puget Sound

SEATTLE - A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck Kitsap County on Tuesday afternoon, shaking homes and rattling windows across parts of the Puget Sound region.

While not everyone in the area felt the quake, residents in Kitsap Peninsula communities, along with areas of Seattle and Bainbridge Island, reported feeling the sudden jolt around 2:05 p.m.

No damage was reported following the event.

Residents describe sudden 'boom' and shaking

What they're saying:

For many local residents, the experience began with an abrupt noise as the ground started moving.

Angie Hodgeboom, a Gig Harbor resident, was in her living room when her 100-year-old house began to rumble. She described hearing a large boom before a second wave of shaking hit seconds later, prompting her to run outside.

Another resident in Gig Harbor reported thinking someone was trying to break into his home when the structure shook while he was watching television.

In Port Orchard, residents reported windows rattling and homes shaking.

Ruth Rogers says her mom and aunt live in Port Orchard, and they felt the quake Tuesday afternoon.

"It was like a jolt and then some shaking," said Rogers. "The windows were shaking, and it was very obvious to her there was something going on."

At Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium in Tacoma, video from inside the aquarium showed some fish and sharks getting briefly startled by the shake.

School seismograph captures live data

At Goodman Middle School in Gig Harbor, sixth-grade science teacher Kristin Coovert had just dismissed her sixth-period class when she felt a rumble and saw the ceiling tiles shake.

"I heard a big kind of boom, like a rumble sound," said Coovert. "The ceiling tiles shook all at once. There’s been people working up in the ceiling. I thought it might be that, but it was kind of big."

A "Raspberry Shake" seismograph stationed in the hallway outside her classroom captured the seismic activity in real time. The instrument is pictured below:

Coovert checked the data immediately after the shaking stopped, confirming the event. The school posted the data online. It is pictured below:

Coovert reported that her classroom suffered no damage and plans to use the recorded seismic data as a real-world science lesson for her students later in the week.

Experts urge preparedness in earthquake country

Dig deeper:

Seismologists with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network monitored the event closely and noted that whether an individual felt the quake depended on their proximity to the epicenter, soil conditions, and the type of building they were in.

Elizabeth Angell with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network says while a 4.2 magnitude earthquake is noticeable, no damage was reported.

"We live in earthquake country here," Angell said. "Little jolts like this are a reminder. We need to prepare for earthquakes."

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