Moderate earthquake reported in B.C. north of Bellingham; thousands report feeling rumblings
A moderate earthquake shook the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and other monitoring sources.
No injuries or damage were immediately reported from the 1:26 p.m. quake, according to the Vancouver Sun newspaper. Its epicenter was Sechelt, B.C., about 60 miles north of Bellingham.
Preliminary magnitude was 4.8 at a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington.
No tsunami warning was issued, according to the USGS, whose instruments gave the quake a reading of 5.1
“Magnitude might keep adjusting slightly for a bit. Looks very shallow — 2 km — so a “crustal earthquake” not along the major tectonic boundary but one of our smaller faults connected to the two plates,” the USGS tweeted.
That means that the earth’s movement was not along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, where scientists have predicted that a catastrophic earthquake is overdue.
More than 6,500 people reported that they felt the quake, according to the USGS.
Earthquakes of magnitude 2.4 to 5.4 are often felt, but only cause minor damage, according to Michigan Technological University. About 500,000 quakes of that magnitude are reported annually around the globe.
This story was originally published February 21, 2025 at 3:03 PM.
