Largest Earthquake to Ever Rattle New England Destroyed Boston and Destructed New England

Just a few months ago, there was a minor earthquake in New England. Vibrations could be felt in towns in New Hampshire, such as Concord, Louden, and Chichester.

That little baby of an earthquake had me thinking, "Has there ever been a "real" earthquake in New England?"

One of the best parts of the Northeast is that, excluding Nor' Easters, there is really no threat of natural disasters.

States in the Midwest have to worry about tornadoes, the southern states have to worry about hurricanes, and we have to worry about snow (which we are all used to at this point).

But seriously, has there ever been a devastating earthquake in New England?

The answer is yes, and it was way more severe than I would ever imagine.

New England's largest earthquake has two names that are used interchangeably: The Boston Earthquake and the Cape Ann Earthquake.

It took place on November 18, 1755. Since the modern-day Richer Scale (now used to track the sizes of earthquakes) was not established, we only have estimates to compare it to others throughout modern history.

According to a Telegram and Gazette article, the Boston Earthquake was estimated between a 6.0 and a 6.3 on the Richer Scale.

Remember the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010? Celebrities worldwide came together to sing "We are the World: 25 for Haiti." That earthquake was a 7.0 on that scale.

The Boston Earthquake was a 6.0-6.3. Less serious, but pretty close in comparison.

Over 1,500 brick chimneys from Portland, Maine, to South Boston reportedly collapsed, according to the Telegram and Gazette. The earthquake felt in Boston was so strong that the gable ends of 15 brick buildings collapsed.

Streets in Boston were so covered with bricks and debris, that getting around on horse-drawn carriages was not even a possibility.

Obviously, there was destruction in individuals' homes. The majority of people in New England who were close to the earthquake lost fine china, liquor bottles, and other glassware.

Since then, New England has never experienced an earthquake of that magnitude, and for that I am grateful.