Buffalo hit with 3.8M earthquake; no damage reported

Feb. 6 (UPI) -- A 3.8-magnitude earthquake near Buffalo, N.Y., Monday morning rattled the nerves of residents around the region but not much else with no immediate damage or injuries reported, officials said.

The earthquake's epicenter was 1.2 miles east-northeast of West Seneca, N.Y., at a depth of nearly two miles at about 6:15 a.m., EST, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. More than 3,500 people contacted the survey saying the felt the tremor.

The West Seneca Police Department said it was swamped with phone calls about the earthquake.

"The Buffalo area experienced an earthquake this morning," said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Twitter. "No damage has been reported at this time. My team is in touch with local officials and we will provide any support needed."

According to the USGS intensity map, the earthquake was felt as far awake as Hamilton, Canada, Niagara Falls and Rochester, N.Y.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said on social media that it felt like a "car hit my house in Buffalo. I jumped out of bed."

Yaareb Altaweel, a seismologist at the National Earthquake Information Center, told NBC News that the last 3.8 magnitude earthquake to strike western New York was in 1999.

"On a scale of earthquakes, 3.8 isn't that big but the crust in that region is old crust," Altaweel said. "It's old and cold and the efficiency of transferring the seismic waves versus sedimentary areas -- that's why people can feel it more. That's why earthquakes can be felt even at 1.0 in some places."