4.0-magnitude Maine earthquake “lightly felt” in Sherbrooke, Que.

A 4.0-magnitude earthquake that occurred in Maine on Tuesday evening was felt throughout southern New England, including in Boston, and was “lightly felt” as far as Sherbrooke, Que. according to Earthquakes Canada.

The earthquake, which hit just just after 7 p.m EDT was centered close to Hollis Center, west of Portland, Maine’s largest city. It was originally reported by the U.S. Geological Survey as a 4.6-magnitude quake, but was downgraded later to 4.0. 

Earthquakes in the central and eastern parts of the United States are often felt over a much wider area than in the west, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In the eastern U.S., a 4.0-magnitude quake can be felt as far as 100 km from where it occurred, it notes.

Last week, a 4.5-magnitude earthquake occurred near Montreal and was felt throughout the region and as far as Ottawa.

While an earthquake of that magnitude is unlikely to cause major damage, it came in the wake of recent remarks from Insurance Bureau of Canada president Don Forgeron that earthquakes present a significant risk for Canada and that risk is not limited to British Columbia.