Early-morning earthquake rattles Northwest, prompting thousands of reports. How big was it?
A moderate earthquake hit the Pacific Northwest early Thursday morning, shaking awake residents of Western Washington and British Columbia.
Seismographs measured the quake’s magnitude at 4.0, centered west of San Juan Island in Canada’s Haro Strait. The epicenter was about 40 miles west of downtown Bellingham.
“This woke me up. Hopefully may this never happen #earthquake #Vancouver,” Izhar Khan tweeted early Thursday.
No tsunami warning was issued, according to the National Weather Service Tsunami Warning Center.
More than 2,200 people reported feeling the quake on the U.S. Geological Survey website.
It was recorded at 4:05 a.m. at a depth of about 30 miles, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.
Some 500,000 moderate quakes of magnitude 2.5 to 5.3 are recorded around the world every year, according to Michigan Technological University. A moderate quake is capable of causing minor damage to buildings.
There have been no reports of damage or injuries from Thursday’s quake.
This story was originally published September 26, 2024 at 8:31 AM.
