Minor Earthquake Near Buffalo Shakes Western New York

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A minor earthquake shook Western New York on Monday morning, rattling residents in a region more accustomed to blizzards.

The quake, which registered as 3.8 magnitude according to the U.S. Geological Survey, occurred at 6:15 a.m. near West Seneca, N.Y., a suburb just southeast of downtown Buffalo.

Mark Poloncarz, the Erie County executive, said that the quake was “very quick” but rumbled through his home.

It “shook the whole house so much I thought a car hit it,” he said on Twitter.

There were no immediate reports of injury or significant property damage but social media postings from the region showed shaking homes and small cracks in cement. The quake was also felt across the border in Canada.

According to the U.S.G.S., “moderately frequent” quakes occur in southern Ontario and western New York, with reports dating back to 1840. The largest, which was magnitude 4.8, happened in 1929 near Attica, N.Y.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said her office was monitoring for any reports of damage, though some local officials were brushing off the temblor.

“Just your usual Buffalo morning earthquake,” said a tweet from the West Seneca Police Department. “Back to bed.”