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An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 3.6 struck early yesterday, beneath Lake Erie, just outside of Cleveland, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The temblor's epicenter was 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. It originated 3.7 miles (6 km) deep and struck at 3:48 a.m. local time (07:48 UTC), the USGS reports. Some light shaking was felt in coastal towns just northeast of Cleveland, but no damages were reported, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Damaging earthquakes are rare in the region. The largest temblor on record in the Northeast Ohio seismic zone struck in 1986 with a magnitude of 4.8, according to the USGS. That quake, which caused minor property damage and a few injuries, was felt over a wide area from Illinois to New York.

In Ohio, Lake County officials received multiple calls. "I heard a gigantic explosion, and it rumbled entire house," one caller said. "I'm sorry; I'm like shaking so bad right now," she went on. The quake was felt in places like Perry, and Fairport Harbor. Even Eileen Steele of Mentor heard the pictures on her walls shake. "It was pretty significant, like an explosion had gone off far away and you kind of feel the rumble from it," said Steele. "This was different. The bed shook," she said. All of her animals were alert and scared too, especially her dog. According to the United States Geological Survey, this was a 3+ magnitude earthquake. Even At the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, this seismograph machine picked up the activity at 3:49 a.m. The machine is part of the museum's Earthquake Zone display, which is full of information about the natural disasters. But the kind of shaking and rumbling some Lake County residents felt, is something they don't want to experience again. "It was scary," Steele said. - Live Science , Fox8

USGS data