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Small earthquake shakes the Plateau

Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 4, 2022

By Ray Miller-Still

This map, created via Google, shows the location of the earthquake this morning near Enumclaw and Black Diamond.
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This map, created via Google, shows the location of the earthquake this morning near Enumclaw and Black Diamond.

This map, created via Google, shows the location of the earthquake this morning near Enumclaw and Black Diamond.
This map, created via Google, shows the location of the earthquake this morning near Enumclaw and Black Diamond.

Did you feel it?

At 6:22 a.m., the Plateau and beyond shook – albeit practically undetectably – as a 3.1 local magnitude (ml) earthquake moved through the area.

According to the United States Geographical Survey, the quake began at coordinates 47.259°N 121.972°W. For those who don’t want to pull out a maps app, that is roughly the intersection of 278th Ave. SE and SE 380th Pl. off Enumclaw-Franklin Road, around 4.6 miles from Enumclaw proper.

The quake expanded south into Buckley and west into Bonney Lake and Auburn; it also traveled north past Black Diamond into Hobart and North Bend, ending in south Snoqualmie.

It was designated a Level III intensity quake, meaning any damage to property is extremely unlikely.

“I live in Auburn/Federal Way, just west of the epicenter. I’ve not heard of any damage,” said Brian Sherrod, a USGS scientist, adding that he also didn’t feel any shaking in that area. I would not expect any damage from an earthquake of this size.”

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