Earthquake Rattles Florida, Affecting One of Disney’s Nearby Resorts

It’s not often that you hear about earthquakes in Florida, but the USGS reported an earthquake off the East Coast of Florida this week, and the effects were felt at one of Disney’s resorts.

When you think about planning a Disney World vacation, you likely think about how many days you’ll be staying, the cost of tickets, which Disney Resort hotel in which you’d like to stay, how many are in your traveling party, and whether you’ll be making any advanced dining reservations at a Disney World restaurant.

It’s likely that you’re not thinking about the potential for an earthquake while you’re visiting Florida.

Guests who visit Disney World during hurricane season–from June 1 to November 30 every year–often keep the idea of the possibility of a hurricane in the back of their minds when planning their trips, especially if they’re traveling to Disney World in the month of September when a number of significant hurricanes have historically developed and affected the parks.

It’s much less common to hear about an earthquake at Disney World–or in Florida, for that matter.

There have been 22 earthquakes reported in Florida since 1992, immediately north of the Florida border in the state of Alabama, or off the coast in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, per the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The most recent earthquake reported in Florida before this week’s quake was a magnitude 1.8, recorded in September 2020.

But this week, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake registered just over 100 miles east of Cape Canaveral, Florida. So while the quake wasn’t felt at Cinderella Castle, it was felt at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, located two hours southeast of Disney World.

Disney’s Vero Beach is described as an “elegant old-fashioned hideaway located on Florida’s scenic Atlantic Treasure Coast near the charming community of Vero Beach,” where guests are invited to “get away from it all in spacious lodgings that provide the comforts of home with an idyllic beach practically at their doorstep.”

According to Jacksonville Today, the rumblings were reported by people from Palm Coast to Vero Beach.

Fortunately, the U. S. Geological Survey says there was no risk of damage or loss of life from the event, which took place on Wednesday morning.

Florida remains one of the states with the fewest earthquakes on record. But when it comes to hurricanes, Florida is the state with the highest number.

Per Finder.com, “Florida has the highest number of hurricanes in the US, with 120 hurricanes making landfall in Florida, or 40.4% of all US hurricanes. Of those 120 hurricanes, 37 were major hurricanes at least Category 3, while 47 hurricanes were Category 1 and 36 were Category 2.”