EASTPORT

A small earthquake served as a wakeup call Tuesday for sleeping residents in Eastport, the easternmost city in the U.S.

The magnitude 3.3 earthquake, among the smallest generally felt by people, was recorded just before 7 a.m. in the waters between Maine and Canada, and about 6 miles northeast of the city, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Some residents in the city of about 1,300 people reported waking to booming and rumbling sounds, but officials say there were no damage reports.

Leasa Garvin thought a ship had exploded in the Port of Eastport.

“It startled us,” Garvin said. “We were dead sound asleep and there was a huge noise and rumble. The first thought was, ‘ Oh, something blew up.’”

Bonita Jones of Pembroke said it felt like a box truck had rammed her home. Her husband, who was unloading a barge off Eastport, called to check on her and reported that the crew had felt the barge rocking against the pilings.

Small earthquakes aren’t unusual in Maine. The state typically experiences a couple each year.

The largest earthquake recorded in the state was a magnitude 5.1 in 1904. The largest quake in Maine over the last 40 years was a magnitude 4 in 2012, about 3 miles west of Hollis Center.

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