Earthquake rattles southern N.H.

HOOKSETT (AP) – A minor earthquake shook southern New Hampshire Saturday morning.

Gregg Champlin, the earthquake specialist at the state Office of Emergency Management, said the 2.1 magnitude quake was centered about four miles west of Hooksett just after 8:30 a.m.

Quakes of that size generally do not cause damage or injuries, and none were reported.

“We heard a loud bang,” said Champlin, who was working in a barn in Henniker. “We could see movement in the roof of the barn, though we felt nothing.”

Champlin said New England sees about six small quakes a year.

Southern New Hampshire, from the Lakes Region south along the Merrimack River, is an active seismic area.