Dauphin Island rattled by minor earthquake

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Ala. (WALA) - For the second time in the past two years, an earthquake rattled folks on Dauphin Island.  

The 2.7 quake hit around 10:30 Friday night as the island continued cleaning sand covered roads on the west end from another natural disaster.

Hurricane Isaac hit back in August, but Friday night folks on the island got something new to talk about.

"It was like is there a hurricane and nobody told us about it? What's going on?" Ronda Gaines said.

Gaines said her dog started barking around the same time her apartment started to shake Friday night. Gaines has lived on the island for 12 years. She moved here from Tennessee.

"I'm originally from Lookout Mountain and Sand Mountain, and we'd have one there before, but you wouldn't think about here on the beach," she said.

Mayor Jeff Collier was on his computer at home when he felt the island move. He said it was a lot like the quake that shook things up last year.  

"I've been here 51 years and those are only two I remember. The one last time was off shore 10-15 miles into the gulf.  This one was in the bay, and lot closer in proximity to the island," Mayor Collier said.

The US Geological survey confirmed a small earthquake occurred in Mobile Bay. The 2.7 magnitude quake rattled nerves, but Collier said there was no damage reported.

"It's just one of those things; living along the coast you just never know. We're always focused on hurricanes and things of that nature, and this is just something else we'll just have to live with for some time, and just be aware that these kinds of things can happen," Collier said.

Collier said the earthquake triggered a few calls to emergency officials from people who just wanted to know what was going on, but some people told FOX10 they slept right through it.