A 3.3-magnitude earthquake has shaken residents in Lancashire and Cumbria, leaving many feeling "as if an underground explosion" occurred. The quake hit shortly after midnight on Wednesday, sending tremors as far as 30 miles from its epicentre near Silverdale.
Residents described their homes shaking violently, with some likening the sensation to being "bombed". One person even thought it might have been a nuclear explosion at the nearby Heysham power station, despite authorities confirming that there was no such incident. Emergency services reported numerous calls about noise before the quake was confirmed.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) has confirmed that Wednesday's earthquake is England's strongest in two years and the second to hit the UK this month, after a 1.0 magnitude event in south Wales on Monday. Earthquakes of similar magnitude are extremely rare in the country, with only around one-tenth of reported incidents strong enough for people to feel.
Lancashire police stated that there have been no reports of injuries or damage but deployed officers and emergency services remain in the area. Many residents took to social media to share their experiences, describing scenes of panic as dogs barked incessantly due to the quake's vibrations.
Local authorities are urging calm, with one resident stating the earthquake was "really scary" and another saying it felt like their house was disintegrating around them.
Residents described their homes shaking violently, with some likening the sensation to being "bombed". One person even thought it might have been a nuclear explosion at the nearby Heysham power station, despite authorities confirming that there was no such incident. Emergency services reported numerous calls about noise before the quake was confirmed.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) has confirmed that Wednesday's earthquake is England's strongest in two years and the second to hit the UK this month, after a 1.0 magnitude event in south Wales on Monday. Earthquakes of similar magnitude are extremely rare in the country, with only around one-tenth of reported incidents strong enough for people to feel.
Lancashire police stated that there have been no reports of injuries or damage but deployed officers and emergency services remain in the area. Many residents took to social media to share their experiences, describing scenes of panic as dogs barked incessantly due to the quake's vibrations.
Local authorities are urging calm, with one resident stating the earthquake was "really scary" and another saying it felt like their house was disintegrating around them.
IT'S CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT HOW SCARY IT MUST HAVE BEEN, WITH YOUR HOUSE SHAKING LIKE CRAZY AND DOGS BARKING ALL AROUND! 
I MEAN, 3.3 MAGNITUDE IS NOTHING TO SNORT AT, EARTHQUAKE WISE! 
BUT SERIOUSLY, THE FACT THAT PEOPLE THOUGHT IT COULD BE A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION AT THE POWER STATION IS JUST WILD!!! 
AND I GUESS THEY'RE LUCKY THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR INJURIES REPORTED... FINGERS CROSSED EVERYTHING STAYS CALM FROM NOW ON! 
(although the authorities set those rumors straight 
). I'm glad no one got hurt, though - that's all anyone can ask for 
. Hope everyone in the area is okay now and that they're getting back to normal soon 
.
i mean i get it, houses shaking and dogs goin wild, its def scary 
but lets not forget, we dont live on a fault line here! how many of u guys have ever felt an earthquake in ur lifetime? probably none... 
anywayz, BGS says its the strongest quake in 2 years, yaaassss 
but seriously, ppl need to chill 
and btw, who needs nuke tests when u got earthquakes 
. Like, a 3.3-magnitude earthquake? It's not that big of a deal 
And yeah, maybe one house did feel like it was disintegrating, but that's just luck 
. I mean, have you seen the roads in Cumbria? It's not like the quake is going to cause a massive sinkhole or something 
.
The videos of those dogs barking are giving me LIFE 
. So weird we don't get quakes like this often... guess that's why they say 'you can't prepare for nature' 
! Like, I was fast asleep when my bed started shaking violently and I was literally 'bombed' in my sleep 
. I immediately grabbed my phone and checked the news, saw that it was just a 3.3-magnitude earthquake near Silverdale, but still, it was super scary 
#EarthquakeAlert #Lancashire #Cumbria #StaySafe
just thinking about all those dogs going crazy due to the vibrations 
. Maybe it's time for some quake drills in schools? 
the vibrations are crazy!!! how do these quakes happen? anyone else feel that 'underground explosion' vibe? the authorities saying no nuke incident at Heysham but omg what if it was 
anyway glad to hear no injuries tho, fingers crossed everything stays quiet 
. social media's all like "oh my god" and dogs are barking their heads off because of the vibrations 
. but seriously, how do people expect to prepare for this kinda thing when earthquakes happen so rarely?