Earthquake rattles Cleveland area, overwhelms Eastlake's emergency dispatch system

John Bacon
Updated

A magnitude 4.0 earthquake centered 20 miles northeast of Cleveland rattled some buildings in the area and overwhelmed one small city's emergency communications system.

It was not immediately clear what if any damage was caused by the quake. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 10:50 a.m. and was centered a couple miles north-northwest of Eastlake, Ohio, a city of about 20,000 on Lake Erie.

"Please do not call dispatch unless it's an emergency," Eastlake Mayor Dennis Morley said in a Facebook post. "They are overwhelmed with calls. It was a 4.0 magnitude earthquake and safety forces are working to help where needed."

The Perry Nuclear Plant, about 20 miles northeast of the Eastlake, said the plant appeared to be unaffected by the temblor.

"Workers are conducting a comprehensive visual inspection to assure there is no change in the condition of plant equipment," plant managers said in a statement.

The state Transportation Department shared some very shaky video from its highway cameras.

"Did you feel that rumble this morning Cleveland?" the department tweeted. "Well if you missed it, we caught this morning's earthquake on multiple #OHGO cameras. Check it out!"

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The quake caught the attention of many on social media.

"I live on a busy road & heard a rumble," Amy Marie posted on Twitter. "Thought it was just a big rig with a heavy load tumbling down the street. Then my walls and pipes made a groan and pop, then every item of clothing in my closet swayed wildly and fast!"

Hope had this to say: "Changing my Tinder bio to “looking for a man who can rock my world like the 4.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Cleveland”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Earthquake rattles Cleveland area, overwhelms Eastlake's emergency dispatch system