Overview
- The earthquake struck at 5:17 p.m. Monday with a depth of roughly five miles and an epicenter near Hopewell Park in Columbia’s Owen Brown area, according to the USGS.
- Howard Community College said a substantial water main breach on its main campus is being attributed to the tremor, prompting water shutoffs for repairs and cancellation of Wednesday’s trustees meeting.
- Officials have not said whether the excavation and repairs will affect classes or other campus operations at the college, which serves about 13,000 students.
- Roughly 1,000 people submitted felt reports, and seismometers registered the quake as far away as Frederick County, state geologists said.
- Experts described the event as consistent with Maryland’s occasional small quakes and noted aftershocks are uncommon but possible for up to a week.