Kent News - Earthquake hits Folkestone

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Earthquake hits Folkestone

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Folkestone has been hit by an earth tremor this afternoon – just two years after the town suffered an earthquake.

The tremor happened just after 2.30pm and could be felt at the centre of the town.

The effects could be felt as far away as Whitfield and River, desks at Dover District Council shook during the tremor and staff at Holiday Extras in Newingreen also fekt the ground move.

Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Services say they have received no reports of any structural damage or injuries.

A spokesman for the British Geological Survey said: “We have recorded an earth tremor measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale, which happened at 2.35pm.

"It was in the same location as the 2007 quake that had a magnitude of 4.3, so this one is significantly smaller.

“This is a small event by UK and world standards and we would expect about 10 of these per year in the UK. It’s extremely unlikely to have caused any damage.”

Pupils at Harvey Grammar School felt the tremor for three or four seconds, before the deputy headteacher Scott Norman set off the fire alarm as a precaution.

The pupils were sent home at around 3pm, and officials from KCC hope to carry out a structural check of the school buildings later today.

Anyone with any concerns regarding how the earthquake has affected schools can contact the Kent County Council helpline on 0845 824 7247.

On April 28, 2007, Folkestone was rocked by an earthquake that registered 4.3 on the Richter scale.

• Click on the comment button below and tell us your experience of the earthquake.

POSTED: 03/03/2009 15:06:27

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ADD YOUR COMMENT

Comments:

Added: Wednesday 04/03/2009 19:28:51 UK

i was at the folkestone academy in my french class when all of a sudden the room started shaking i was like OMG and my teacher said that we have just experienced another Earthquake

Jordan Schafer, Cheriton, Kent

Added: Wednesday 04/03/2009 13:29:42 UK

i was at the harvey grammar school in english. i was laying down and i thought the people downstairs where banging. i looked over in te science block and the kids where standing up.Suddenly the fire alarm went off andwas standing outside for 30mins and then sent home at 3:00. making us stand outside for 30mins and sent home at 3:00. 25mins woopy doo

Josh Gibbs, Folkestone, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 21:02:38 UK

great to see something happens in sleepy in south kent.lighting obviously does strike twice my brother said he feltthe earth move for him in work at folkestone

mark scales, ashford, kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 20:51:08 UK

I was in Science when the earthquake went off. At first we thought someone was on the roof- but then we found it was was a tremor!

Nothing drastic, but was exciting to discuss with friends and family.

Lucky Grammar Kids got sent home- but oh no, we had to stay.. :-(

Alex, Folkestone, England

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 20:41:53 UK

I am originally from Folkestone and attended Harvey Grammar. I now live in Los Angeles and my friends are still on the floor laughing because of the reaction to a 2.8. I know it's Folkestone but a 2.8 is no more than a lorry going past! It was bad enough with the 4.7 2yrs ago and people claiming they got shaken out of bed, etc. I've been in a 6.2, 5.8 and too many 'shakers' to remember. Believe me, at 6.2 the entire building sways and cracks appear in walls but we dont close schools or freak out

NS, Los Angeles, California, CA

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 20:26:23 UK

I was sitting at my desk in Cheriton when the earthquake struck. We all thought the building had been hit by a lorry. You could hear the structure grinding and creaking. It all happened very quickly and left us all staring at each other in shock!

Wendy, Dover, Folkestone

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 20:21:31 UK

Just wondered if anyone felt anything on Sunday 22nd Feb? I was in Swingfield and it felt like a truck had gone past (none had!) but there wasn't any following tremor. Didn't really think anything of it until I heard about this today.

SB, Folkestone, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 18:36:14 UK

I was sitting in french and the whole room started shaking! it was quite scary!

my teacher told us that a digger had drove in to the school!!! so that nobody would have a panic attack lol how gutted!!!...x

Charlotte Gillatt, Folkestone, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 17:46:17 UK

We felt it in Hawkinge too. Was talking to my friend in Dover at the time and she felt it as well. I agree with the other people commenting in that it wasn't anywhere near as strong or long as the one two years ago, and no damage either.

gill kenward, Hawkinge, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 17:08:42 UK

A lot of us at www.holidayextras.com in Newingreen, Hythe felt the tremor - I sit upstairs and felt the floor shake for a few seconds. It wasn't until someone saw it on the news that we realised what had happened.

M, Hythe, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 16:44:32 UK

OMG OMG OMG
I was in the Harvey Grammar School, was a proper eathquake innit
my apple mac stopped working though :(

Sonny, Folkestone, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 16:37:39 UK

At work in a vehicle body repair business, the office - an addition to the main building protruding from the front of it, shook and the CCTV monitor almost fell off the top of a cupboard in the office. I new immediately it was another quake/tremor as I clearly remember the weird type of vibrations from the last time in 2007. It was all over in a couple of seconds but scary nevertheless!

Bev Rolfe, Folkestone, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 16:18:01 UK

i didnt feel ot :s

i was at school ! no 1 said eny thing about it then my mum txt me saying we just had 1 lol

ash, dover, kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 16:07:29 UK

I felt the tremor under foot in Elham

jan, elham, kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 16:00:21 UK

I was speaking to my sister who lives in Folkestone by telephone from Spain when she felt the earth tremor. She lives near the Harvey Grammar School and reported the tremor was sufficient to shake things off the shelf.

Kevin Bartlett, Mazarron, Spain

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 15:56:56 UK

We were sitting in an art lesson then the ground just started to shake, it went on for about 3 to 4 seconds and know where near as bad as the last earthquake!!

Francesca Seymour, Folkestone, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 15:50:12 UK

our office is on the first floor in Warren Road Folkestone - and you could really feel it, the machine operators felt their machines shift and it knocked out the power in one of the other units

Bryony, Folkestone, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 15:49:22 UK

The whole house shook for about 2-4 seconds, nothing even fell of a shelf :D

Ben, Folkestone, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 15:49:03 UK

I felt the earthquake here in folkestone

karen coyne, folkestone, kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 15:48:42 UK

Me and my partner felt the earthquake in Hythe, Kent.

Lucy, Hythe, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 15:43:54 UK

I felt the tremor and after a quick check of the house found a couple of small fragments had fallen from my ceiling in my bedroom and a crack in my downstairs toilet had spread.

Alastair Forbes, Folkestone, Kent

Added: Tuesday 03/03/2009 15:24:54 UK

I felt the earthquake at my home in Walmer, Deal.

Kevin Barclay, Deal, Kent