4.1 Quake Rattles Bellingham Area

WHATCOM COUNTY - A small earthquake shook the area around Deming in Whatcom County Wednesday. There were no initial reports of any injuries or property damage.

The Pacific Northwest Seismographic Network at the University of Washington said the magnitude 4.1 quake occurred at 12:53 p.m. and was centered about five miles east-northeast of Deming, which is west of Mount Baker. It was about a third of a mile below the surface, which is considered shallow.

In the first half hour after the quake, 25 people reported feeling it, describing the shaking as moderate. Some people who called the media reported hearing a loud boom before the quake.

Bill Steele, a UW seismology spokesman, said the quake was the strongest one in Washington in more than a year. The last magnitude 4 quake was in August 2004 near Goat Rocks, between Mount Rainier and Mount Adams, both inactive volcanoes.