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'It Was Like An Explosion': 2.2 Magnitude Earthquake Rattles Parts Of Berks County

WYOMISSING, Pa. (CBS) -- A small quake rattled a portion of Berks County on Friday afternoon. The United States Geological Survey recorded a 2.2 magnitude earthquake centered in Spring Ridge at 1:11 p.m.

We are aware that there was an explosion or earthquake in the Wyomissing area. PLEASE DO NOT call 911 if you do not...

Posted by Berks DES on Friday, July 19, 2019

Spring Ridge is approximately eight miles outside of Reading.

"It was definitely something that got me out of my seat right away and running upstairs to see what was going on," Noah Seyfert said.

Around 1:11 p.m. Friday, Seyfert felt was in his basement home office when the quake hit. At first, many of his neighbors in Wyomissing didn't know what the 2.2 quake was.

"It was sudden. It was like an explosion and it was very hard," Glenn Rambo said.

"I felt it it a little bit. My monitor shook at work and I thought somebody was doing construction outside. But I heard it, I heard a loud boom," Daniel Lacon said.

At least 78 people reported feeling the quake, some as far as seven to eight miles away.

"We wouldn't expect to see any damage from a 2.2. People just probably felt a little bit of shaking," USGS geophysicist Paul Caruso told CBS3.

Several took to social media after they felt the earth move.

The last time the area saw an earthquake was in 2008. It's rare to feel them, but not unusual for a quake to happen.

There have been 32 earthquakes in the area since 1973.

The highest one ever felt was in 1994 when a 4.6 magnitude quake struck five miles west of Reading. A 4.2 magnitude quake also registered that same day.

CBS3's Howard Monroe reports.

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