Earthquake hits western New York; tremors 'strongest in last 40 years'

he 3.8 magnitude quake struck in Buffalo region of NY (Representative image)

A "strong" earthquake rattled western New York in the early hours of February 6, shortly after a series of devastating quakes were reported in West Asia region.

The tremors, felt mostly in Buffalo area of New York, were the "strongest in at least 40 years", according to Seismologist Yaareb Altaweel.

Although the intensity was strong, the earthquake did not cause significant damage, as per the preliminary reports.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was of 3.8 magnitude, centred east of Buffalo in the suburb of West Seneca at about 6:15 a.m.

The shaking lasted a few seconds and sent residents first to their windows and then to social media in search of an explanation.

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“It felt like a car hit my house in Buffalo. I jumped out of bed,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted. County emergency services officials confirmed the earthquake was felt in at least a 30-mile radius, including in Niagara Falls, about 20 miles north of Buffalo, he said.

Earthquake Canada, which measured a 4.2 magnitude event, reported it was felt slightly in southern Ontario.

Small earthquakes are not unusual in upstate New York but are rarely felt as strongly. The earthquake comes on the heels of two record-breaking weather events in the region: A snowstorm that dropped as much as 7 feet of snow in November and a blizzard in December that is blamed for 47 deaths.

With AP inputs