The strongest earthquake in the United Kingdom in almost four years hit villages in Shropshire on Monday.
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake, the biggest to hit Britain since June 2018, shook houses “from side to side”, with residents describing a “scary” and “surreal” experience.
The quake struck near Uem, north of Shrewsbury, but residents of neighboring Staffordshire and Cheshire also said they had felt the effects, with buildings shaking and windows rattling.
Brian Suttleworth, 38, of Telford, said: “I was napping in the afternoon after working all night and then I felt the bed move. It was surreal.
“My door slammed shut and when I stood up I felt the ground beneath me shake. It lasted only seconds, but it felt like an eternity. It was very scary.
“At first I thought the noise was a car accident, but then I felt that everything was shaking and I realized that it must be an earthquake. I’ve never experienced anything like this. “
Julie Williams of Wem told the BBC: “I immediately understood what it was, I was just like, go down and get out. My legs became jelly. ”
On social media, local people reported “buzzing and rattling” and “strong blows”. One said, “My desk chair was rocking like it was on a spin cycle.”
The British Geological Survey (BGS), which collects data on people’s experiences of earthquakes, said one person described how their house “feels like moving from left to right”.
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