Earthquake rattles islands just west of Whatcom County Sunday afternoon
A 2.1 magnitude quake was reported at shortly before 2 p.m. Sunday off the San Juan Islands, approximately 22 miles west of downtown Bellingham.
The temblor, which struck at 1:55 p.m. March 22, initially was measured with a 2.7 magnitude, the U.S. Geological Survey reported, though that number was later downgraded. It was recorded 38.5 miles deep.
The epicenter was located just off the northwest tip of Orcas Island and east of Waldron Island, according to Googlemaps.com.
No damage was reported, and nobody has reported feeling the quake on the USGS’ “Did You Feel It?” web page.
The USGS reports only one other earthquake in the region in the past three weeks — a 2.0 just off the northeast edge of San Juan Island.
Quakes of less than magnitude 3.0 are common, and tens of thousands are reported worldwide every year, according to the USGS.
A quake of magnitude 1.0 to 3.0 is not felt except by a very few under especially favorable conditions, according to the USGS.
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