PEABODY, MASS. (WHDH) - It’s the very ground underfoot that’s causing concerns in Peabody. Community members have been left shaken by three earthquakes over the past month.
Many gathered in the city hall Wednesday night to learn about what they say is becoming a real issue.
“I thought the trash truck had hit the house and my roof had caved in,” said Kathleen O’Connell-Salisbury. “I went running out and all my neighbors were out looking around.”
She and Julie Daigle live near Emerson Park, one of the areas that has been affected by what scientists call an earthquake swarm.
Mayor Edward Bettencourt said he originally feared the quaked were human-caused.
“We sent drones out there, we sent dogs out there just looking for explosive material… really just trying to narrow down what this could be,” he explained.
However, seismologist Dr. John Ebel said the answer is far underground and quite natural.
The senior research scientist at the Weston Observatory said, “we record on the average of 10 to 20 earthquakes per year from somewhere in the New England region.”
Dr. Ebel said those living near Emerson Park and Forest Street may feel more quakes, but it is no cause for concern.
“What I would say is the odds are very low that anything will happen that will be significant in terms of damage or a strong shake or anything like that,” he said.
Folks in town say they are just relieved just to know what’s going on.
“At least there’s a peace of mind that it’s identified. And it might happen again, but we aren’t freaking out,” said Daigle.
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