Superstorm Sandy Was So Powerful the Ground Shook in Seattle

East Coasters huddling in powerless homes as the winds outside raged weren't the only ones to feel the wrath of Superstorm Sandy. Seismic devices throughout the United States were also picking up on the low-pressure system's immensity – and some of these devices were located as far away as Seattle.

Earthquakes make the earth shiver. But on a lesser scale, so do strong tornadoes, construction work and you'd better believe that huge Russian meteor. These things generate smallish seismic waves called microseisms. When Sandy was approaching New England, it was throwing out such energetic microseisms that it was like the country was being rocked by 2 to 3-magnitude earthquakes.