Feel the shaking? This small earthquake just struck near Whatcom County
A small earthquake stuck during the lunch hour Tuesday approximately 30 miles southwest of Whatcom County near the San Juan Islands.
A 2.3-magnitude earthquake struck at 12:38 p.m. Feb. 1, approximately 30 miles west of downtown Bellingham, according to a U.S. Geological Survey report.
The quake was centered below the southern tip of San Juan Island, Google Maps showed, approximately 6.8 miles south southeast of Friday Harbor and 16.8 miles west southwest of Anacortes, according to the USGS.
Nobody had reported feeling the shaking yet on the USGS’ “Did you Feel It” page, and the quake was measured at a depth of 7.1 kilometers, according to the USGS.
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.
Last week, the Washington State Emergency Management Division announced that the new MyShake Earthquake Early Warning app was available for Washington state residents, giving them time to drop, cover and hold on to protect themselves in the event of a major earthquake.
The MyShake App already was available in California and Oregon and is available for free download through the Apple App Store and Google Play.
“Getting seconds of warning before an earthquake strikes may not sound like much, but it is plenty of time to drop, cover and hold on to protect yourself,” Washington Emergency Management Division Geologic Hazards Supervisor Maximilian Dixon said in a release about the app. “Practicing how to drop, cover and hold on as soon as you get an alert, or feel earthquake shaking, will help you to do it even faster.”
