USGS: Magnitude 3.0 earthquake off Long Island

A magnitude 3.0 earthquake was recorded off the South Shore of Long Island Tuesday morning, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The tremor, considered minor, happened at 7:22 a.m., with the epicenter being about 33 miles southeast of Southampton, according to the USGS.

A magnitude 3.0 quake can be "felt only by a few persons at rest, especially on upper floors of buildings," according to the USGS.

Both Suffolk County police and Southampton Town police said they received no calls reporting the quake.

And, the handful of “did you feel it” reports submitted from areas of eastern Long Island to earthquake.usgs.gov should be taken “with a grain of salt,” said John Bellini, USGS geophysicist on duty, based in Golden, Colorado.

That’s as a tremor so far off shore and at a depth of 4.4 miles would not be felt so far away. Indeed, he said the people reporting from Cutchogue and Hampton Bays indicated they did not feel any vibration, and those farther away in Rocky Point and Sayville indicated they did, making those reports suspect.