Massachusetts Earthquake Rattles Parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island

Since 1963, Southern New England has experienced 26 earthquakes. According to geophysicist Paul Caruso, the earthquake that originated on Sunday morning in Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts, was one of the largest at a magnitude of 4.0, according to the New York Times.

The minor quake was felt through parts of Southern Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. There were no reports of damage or injuries. Janice Warr from East Freetown, Mass. told the New York Times,

I felt the earth shaking for about 20 seconds and the noise reminded me of an overfilled washing machine. The noise got louder and the whole house - windows, pictures on walls were actually shaking.

On May 16, 1791, at approximately 8 PM, all of Connecticut and other parts of New England were rocked by a 5.0 magnitude quake near Moodus's town in East Haddam, which is about a 90-minute drive from Danbury. According to the website nesec.org, local Native Americans called Moodus, known for its seismic activity, "Places of Noises". Check out some of the reactions of people who felt the earthquake in Massachusetts.

Because of the earthquake noises like cracking sounds, loud booms, and rumbling, the local Native Americans considered Moodus to be a sacred place. The 1791 earthquake caused cracked chimneys and the destruction of stone fences.

According to the website nesec.org, during the 1980s, the 'Moodus Noises' were actually sounds of small quakes called 'earthquake swarms, which lasted a few months and included approximately 100 earthquakes.