Mild earthquake rocks Wheatbelt
Residents of WA’s Wheatbelt described how they woke up last night to the earth shaking and furniture moving as mild earthquake hit Northam and surrounding areas at about midnight.
The earthquake’s epicentre was 33km east of Northam and had a magnitude of 2.4. The tremors were felt across the region, including the town of Meckering.
Meckering resident, Naomi Carlson said she was in a deep sleep when she was awoken by a rumble.
“The house started shaking and I felt this rumble. All of a sudden my partner jumped out of bed and began shouting ‘it’s an earthquake, it’s and earthquake’. It must have gone on for a good minute,” Ms Carlson said.
Ms Carlson said that no damage was caused by the quake and although she had never experienced anything like it before it was not destructive.
“It was a good rumble but not too bad. The dogs went crazy though,” she said.
About 30km away in Northam, Sarah Leslie was returning home from a late shift when she felt the rumble.
“The earth just started shaking. I did not know what to think at first but then I realised it could be an earthquake,” Ms Leslie said.
Both Ms Leslie and Ms Carlson said that the only thing people were talking about in town today was last night’s earthquake.
“I thought I was the only who felt it. I guess everybody else felt it too,” Ms Carlson said.
Geo Science Seismologist David Jepsen said the magnitude 2.4 earthquake hit about midnight, 33km east of Northam.
He described it as a “mild event”.
