The 12 strongest earthquakes in recorded Maine history
By Emily Burnham, Bangor Daily News Staff
Though Maine is quiet seismologically compared with hotspots like California, Central America, and Japan, the state has nevertheless experienced a surprisingly high number of earthquakes — the vast majority of which we don’t feel.
Those that we do feel, like Jan. 28’s 4.1 earthquake off the coast of York, are rarely destructive. Geologists use the modified Mercalli Intensity Scale to gauge how severe the shaking and other physical effects of the earthquake are, with a level 1 being nearly imperceptible, to a level 12 being near-total devastation.
The Maine Geological Survey keeps a record of all quakes recorded since 1997, when state records began to be widely available. Earthquakes prior to 1997 are also noted, though the data on them is less reliable. Earthquakes that occurred prior to seismological equipment being set up in the northeastern U.S. in the 1970s are only estimates.
These are the 12 strongest Maine earthquakes for which we have accurate data or reliable historical information.
March 1904
The largest earthquake that is believed to have occurred in Maine in recorded history happened in March 1904, with the epicenter believed to have been somewhere near Eastport. The quake was believed to be around 5.9 on the Richter scale, and caused widespread damage throughout eastern Maine. It was reported in the Bangor Daily News on March 22, 1904 that buildings were damaged in Ellsworth, including broken chimneys, foundations and windows. Aftershocks were felt for months afterwards.
March 6, 2005
The most powerful earthquake to have been felt in Maine since reliable records became available came in at a 5.4 on the Richter scale. It had an epicenter near Riviere-du-Loup, Quebec, on the St. Lawrence River about 95 miles northeast of Quebec City, and about 63 miles northwest of Fort Kent. It was felt widely across Maine and as far south as Boston. No damage was reported, and shaking was at a 3 or 4 on the Mercalli scale in northern Maine, and a 2 in southern Maine.
April 20, 2002
An earthquake about 18 miles south of Plattsburgh, New York, not far from Lake Champlain, measured 5.3 on the Richter scale. While there was minor damage in New York, in Maine, intensities of a 2 or 3 on the Mercalli scale were felt in western and southern parts of the state, and no damage was reported.
Nov. 5, 1997
This Quebec City earthquake came in at 5.1 on the Richter scale, and occurred about 14 miles southwest of Quebec’s capital city. It was felt widely across Quebec and northern New England, and there were 45 aftershocks in the month after the initial quake, though almost none of those were felt.
June 23, 2010
Yet another earthquake in Canada was felt in Maine in 2010. The epicenter was about 35 miles northeast of Ottawa on the Quebec-Ontario border. The 5.0 Richter magnitude quake was felt as far south as Kennebunk and as far east as Bangor, though no damage was reported, with a Mercalli scale rating between 1 and 3.
June 15, 1973
The largest accurate measurement of an earthquake in Maine occurred on June 15, 1973, with a 4.8 quake occurring on the Maine-Quebec border near Bowmantown Township in Oxford County.
April 4, 2024
The Tewksbury, New Jersey earthquake caused quite an uproar in nearby New York City, with hundreds of thousands of people feeling shaking during the 4.8 magnitude quake. Though it caused no major damage, it was felt as far south as Washington, D.C., and as far north as Maine.
Oct. 16, 2012
The strongest earthquake accurately recorded in Maine in recent memory clocked in at 4.5 on the Richter scale. It occurred on the town line of Hollis and Waterboro in York County, and the area near the epicenter recorded a 5 on the Mercalli scale, with much of the rest of the region reporting a 2 to 3. It was reportedly detected as far away as New Jersey.
February 1928
The Maine Geological Survey believes that an earthquake centered near the town of Milo in Piscataquis County sometime in February 1928 was a magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale. The BDN reported that townsfolk felt aftershocks for days after the initial quake.
Dec. 12, 2012
Less than two months after the Waterboro earthquake, another Quebec quake could be felt in Maine. It occurred in the Charlevoix Seismic Zone, the most active seismic area in northeastern North America, and measured 4.4 on the Richter scale. It was felt as far southwest as Machias, though only very faintly.
Oct. 6, 2006
One of the biggest earthquakes to ever happen within the state’s borders happened on Mount Desert Island, with a 4.2 magnitude quake occurring near Bar Harbor. The quake, felt by many residents throughout Hancock County, caused rock slides in Acadia National Park, and was the largest of more than 38 individual seismic events that occurred in the area between September and December 2006.
Jan. 25, 2025
Monday’s earthquake about 6 miles off the coast of the town of York had a magnitude of 4.1 on the Richter scale. It was felt widely across southern Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.