A doorbell camera has captured the exact moment a 3.3-magnitude earthquake struck Lancashire, waking residents with an 'almighty' bang. The tremor was recorded off Silverdale's coastline at 11.23pm on Wednesday, December 3, at a depth of 3km.
Local residents reported feeling a violent shake and hearing a loud bang, with many initially fearing an explosion or collision. Ben Anslow, 23, was walking home when the quake hit. 'It was like this really violent shake and a loud bang. At first I thought something had exploded,' he said. 'Everybody came out on the street to see what had happened.'
David Moore, 71, was startled by the quake, initially fearing something had hit his house. 'I'm in bed and there's an almighty bang. It lasted around two seconds. Something I've never heard before,' he said. Antique shop owners Charlotte Fotheringham and Michael Winder described a 'weird rumble' that felt 'more like an explosion'.
The British Geological Survey (BGS) received reports of the earthquake being felt across Lancashire and the South Lakes, including Carnforth, Morecambe, Heysham, Burton-in-Kendal, Arnside, Kendal, Ulverston, Blackpool and Cleveleys. Emergency crews were inundated with calls before the quake was officially confirmed.
Despite the shock, no injuries or significant damage were reported. One resident noted his dog remained undisturbed, while another said, 'Everybody seems to be OK which is a good thing.' The earthquake was the largest recorded in the area in recent years.
