The United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Washington was a little shaken up Monday morning when an earthquake struck near Sammamish, though the quake was so weak and so deep that it hardly had any effect on the community.
The 2.9-magnitude temblor struck just before 8:30 a.m. Oct. 13, approximately a half mile north of Ames Lake, according to data provided by the USGS. Sammamish city officials said that while there were reports of a “tiny shake” at the time, no damage or injury reports have been received.
According to maps provided by the USGS, Sammamish lies near the Rattlesnake Mountain Fault Zone, where the geological uplift that the Seattle area generally sits on is pushing up against the remains of the Western Melange Belt, an ancient subduction zone which led to the creation of the Cascade Mountains encompassing the area around the Snoqualmie Pass.
The last earthquake of historical significance hit near Olympia in 1965. The 6.5-magnitude tremor killed seven and caused more than $12 million in damage, and was felt as far east as northwestern Montana.