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Hundreds of calls flood Ohio 911 call centers after earthquake

All of the calls that department received was from people wondering what happened, rather than reporting an emergency

Earthquake 62576976_2457546750931764_4836168449862402048_n.jpg

Fire department officials in the area said no injuries, nor property damage were reported because the quake.

Photo/ Mentor-on-the-Lake Police Department

Adam Ferrise
Advance Ohio Media, Cleveland

EASTLAKE, Ohio — More than 300 calls flooded Eastlake’s 911 dispatch center Monday morning in the minutes after a 4.2-magnitude earthquake struck, officials said.

Dispatch centers in nearby Willoughby, Timberlake Township, Willoughby Hills and others were swamped with calls. The dispatchers in most cases checked to see if anyone was hurt, then turned the callers away because of the crush of calls.

Fire department officials in the area said no injuries, nor property damage were reported because the quake.

Some of the callers wondered if there was a house explosion nearby— especially in Eastlake, where an elderly couple was severely hurt in a 2009 explosion.

Others thought it was a building being demolished, or new residents making raucous while moving in to their new home.

One caller said she felt like Monday’s earthquake was worse than the 5.0-magnitude 1986 earthquake in Cleveland.

Mentor-On-The-Lake Police Chief John Gielink asked residents to refrain from calling 911 during earthquakes unless someone has a medical emergency or there’s some sort of damage from the quake.

All of the calls that department received was from people wondering what happened, rather than reporting an emergency.

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©2019 Advance Ohio Media, Cleveland

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