Moderate earthquake jolts B.C., Whatcom County

A moderate earthquake jolted Vancouver Island, B.C., late Tuesday, and was widely felt across Whatcom County.

No damage or injuries were immediately reported from the quake, which was focused a few miles north of Victoria, B.C. The U.S. Geological Survey measured the quake at 4.8, at 11:39 p.m. Pacific time. Such a quake is capable of causing minor damage.

“It was felt for a good 150-mile radius,” said Randy Baldwin, a USGS geophysicist.

Victoria residents reported the shaking lasted about 10 seconds.

It’s not unusual for an earthquake of this size to hit along the West Coast and Vancouver Island in British Columbia because there’s a large subduction zone in the area that produces lots of seismic activity, Baldwin said.

Social media posts began immediately, with residents from Blaine to Sudden Valley reporting a pair of quick, sharp jolts. The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office received many calls from residents wondering if there was a quake but no reports of damage or injuries, said Tom Eades, a 911 dispatcher.

The Geological Survey’s website recorded more than 13,000 reports of the quake being felt.

Sidney, B.C.’s, fire department, just north of the epicenter, tweeted that there was no tsunami risk, citing information from the National Tsunami Warning Center.

City of Vancouver officials tweeted that there were “no known reports of significant #earthquake damage.”

This story was originally published December 30, 2015 at 12:56 AM with the headline "Moderate earthquake jolts B.C., Whatcom County."