Minor earthquake recorded near Blue Marsh Lake

The U.S. Geological Survey website confirmed a 2.2 magnitude earthquake occurred at 1:11 p.m. on Friday, July 19, in Berks County, originating in Bern Township near Blue Marsh, about 2 miles west of the Spring Ridge development in Spring Township.

County emergency officials received numerous calls regarding tremors in western Berks.

People reported hearing a boom and feeling the earth shake at about 1:20 p.m.

Barry Aiello, 71, who resides in the Wilshire development of Spring Township, said he heard what he believes were three earthquakes. He said the times were 1:12, 1:20 and 1:27.

“This is really upsetting,” he said. “This area is prone to them. The first one was violent. The house was shaking. It lasted a few seconds. I haven’t heard anything this bad since the ‘90s. I didn’t see damage.”

Aiello speculated recent flash flooding may have caused the quakes.

“There are a lot of natural caves around here,” Aiello said.

Peter Beck, 41, who resides in Wyomissing, said it sounded like someone dropped an empty dumpster on his house at 1:15 p.m.

“It was that loud and the house shook,” Beck said. “I thought my boiler blew up. It sounded like an explosion.

His 16-month-old daughter was scared.

“She was wide-eyed,” he said. “My friends in the neighborhood they were all talking about it.”

The USGS is asking people who felt the quake to report it, at https:// earthquake.usgs.gov/ earthquakes/eventpage/ld60173971/tellus.