Small earthquake sends tremors through the Tri-Cities Friday night

RICHLAND, Wash. - A small earthquake sent tremors though parts of the Tri-Cities, and even as far as Prosser and Benton City Friday night.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the 2.8 magnitude quake was recorded at 9:18 p.m. and the core of it happened between Adair Drive and Heritage Hills Drive in Richland.

According to the USGS, it is the largest earthquake recorded in 13 years in the Tri-Cities, with the last hard quake being in 2011, which was recorded at a 3.2 magnitude. The USGS said the depth of Friday's earthquake was just under 5 miles.

To see the summary on the earthquake from the USGS and to file a "Did you feel it?" report, click here.

So what does a 2.8 magnitude earthquake feel like?

Several people in the Tri-Cities area reported feeling their houses shake. The USGS said a small earthquake like the one that happened Friday would feel like a small sharp jolt, followed by a few stronger sharp shakes that pass quickly if you were near the origin. If you were farther away, you may not feel it at all, but it could also be a subtle, gentle shake or two that you would feel if you were sitting down.

As for what kind of magnitued it takes to start to cause damage, the USGS said there isn't a threshold for that because it depends on other variables, such as distance, type of soil, building constructrion and others. Usually, damage will not occur until the magnitude reaches around a 4 or a 5. Earthquakes above a magnitude of 6 can begin to cause damage to buildings.

According to the USGS, one thing to consider is the intensity of the earthquake, and not the magnitude.

The intensity of the earthquake that hit Richland Friday was recorded as intensity III, which would be it was noticeable by people indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. Many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing motor cars may rock slightly and vibrations are similar to that of a passing truck.

Earthquakes were also recorded Friday and into the overnight hours in Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, and Alaska in the United States alone.

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