It sounded like an explosion, houses shook and dogs started barking as a magnitude 3.0 earthquake rocked several towns in Morris County, New Jersey tonight, residents and authorities said.

The epicenter of the quake was about 5 miles west-northwest of Morristown, said Richard Buckmaster, a geophysicist with the United States Geological Survey. The USGS had not yet established a radius for the quake, which occurred at 10:34 p.m., but “it was widely felt,” Buckmaster said.

No injuries were immediately reported, authorities said.

Since 1974, there have been about 50 seismic events within 100 kilometers, or about 62 miles, of last night’s quake, Buckmaster said.

The most recent one, a magnitude 2.1, occurred July 28, 2008, according to Buckmaster and the USGS website. The largest one since 1974 was a magnitude 4.0 on Oct. 19, 1985.

(Source: NJ Star Ledger)