1.7 Magnitude Earthquake Reported In Surprising Area Of US

A 1.7-magnitude earthquake struck Connecticut on Wednesday (March 6), according to the United States Geological Survey. The natural disaster was reported in East Hampton and initially suspected to be "Moodus Noises," which are more common to the area, before being confirmed by the USGS as a small earthquake on Thursday (March 7).

East Hampton officials confirmed that several residents had reported strange noises and shaking suspected to be 'Moodus Noises' just before 9:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

"We have heard about the noise and shaking this morning a little before 9am. After checking the area of the south end of the Town and having no specific reports of issues or problems at this time, we, too, attribute the situation to the 'Moodus Noises,'" East Hampton officials wrote in a post shared on Facebook. "They are noises and related earthquaking that emanate from an area south of the Salmon River that have been ongoing for centuries."

Several smaller earthquakes have hit surprising regions of the country recently. In January, 2.5-magnitude earthquake struck Wisconsin.

A 2.3-magnitude earthquake was also reported in Maryland one week prior. The Maryland earthquake struck nine days after a 2.7-magnitude earthquake was reported in New Hampshire on December 24.

Confirmation of the Connecticut earthquake came hours after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake was also reported to have struck China Thursday morning.