33 earthquakes in 30 days – the town that won’t stop trembling

THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN town of Norseman has a serious case of the shakes – with a staggering 50 earthquakes hitting the area in the last two months.

 

The gold-mining town – located about 720km east of Perth – has had over 30 quakes this month, with 18 alone on 8 and 9 July.

 

It all began after a 5.0 magnitude earthquake shook the town in the middle of the night on 28 May, followed by an even stronger 5.1 magnitude aftershock about an hour later.

 

John Fry, works manager at the Dundas Shire, said he heard a loud rumbling, and soon after, got a call from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, checking if the town needed assistance.

 

“I thought it was just a train coming through,” he said. “The last thing you think of is an earthquake.”

 

Read More: 33 earthquakes in 30 days – the town that won’t stop trembling – Australian Geographic