Schoharie County did a little bit of rocking and rolling just before the crack of dawn last Wednesday when a minor earthquake hit near Howes Cave.
The 2:56am quake measured 2.7 on the Richter scale, according to the US Geological Survey, and its epicenter was six miles northwest of Cobleskill.
The quake originated at a depth of 3.7 feet and was at the threshold of where it could be felt by people—and dogs.
Sheila Hay-Gillespie lives on Shady Tree Lane in Bramanville and said she felt it, but only after her dog drove them crazy for about a half-hour beforehand.
“He was up and down, pacing, he just wouldn’t quiet down,” Ms. Hay-Gillespie said. “We couldn’t figure out what was wrong.”
When the quake itself hit, it lasted less than a minute, she said, and at first, she and her husband, Jim, thought it was just a repeat of a couple of weeks ago when one of their large pine trees came down.
“My legs were shaking,” Ms. Hay-Gillespie said.
“We looked outside, but of course, it was dark and we couldn’t see anything, but I made a mental note of the time: 2:59.”
Thinking perhaps what they felt was an earthquake, the couple spent the next day listening to the news and checking out the web, until, finally, their suspicions were confirmed.
According to the USGS, the quake is classified as “weak” and it’s no indication that a larger earthquake is imminent.
Karen Slater, who lives on Sagendorf Corners Road, is the Times-Journal’s graphic artist.
She didn’t realize what she felt in the dark hours of the 27th was a earthquake until the T-J received Ms. Hay-Gillespie’s email about it.
“I did hear an awful rumble, but I thought it might be a pine tree coming down or a vehicle in the ditch. It woke me out of a sleep but I didn’t see anything when I looked out.”
Ms. Slater’s family, who live nearby, felt the earthquake, too, as did neighbors on Howes Cave Road.
The USGS said no damage was reported, but residents in Central Bridge reported dishes falling and breaking and chandeliers swaying.
As a routine precaution, the Gilboa Dam at New York City’s Schoharie Reservoir was also examined in the wake of the quake.
The inspection is conducted after all local seismic events as a routine precaution. Results were not yet available.
The last earthquake reported in the region hit 3.1 on the Richter scale on July 23, 2007, 15 miles southwest of Rotterdam, according to the USGS.