Magnitude 4.0 earthquake shakes B.C.'s South Coast
The USGS estimated the quake struck at a depth of 52 kilometres and did not trigger a tsunami alert.
No damage has been reported following an earthquake that rattled areas of Vancouver Island and British Columbia's Lower Mainland on Thursday morning.
The U.S. Geological Survey indicated that the magnitude 4.0 earthquake occurred shortly after 4 a.m. in the Haro Strait, located between the Saanich Peninsula and San Juan Island.
According to the USGS, the quake hit at a depth of 52 kilometers and did not trigger a tsunami warning.
Earthquakes Canada reported that hundreds of residents in Greater Victoria and Vancouver felt the tremor, with many more notifying U.S. authorities.
Following the earthquake, numerous individuals in B.C. and Washington state took to social media, with some stating that it jolted them awake.
Last month, both the federal and provincial governments announced the activation of an early detection system in B.C. designed to provide a few seconds of advance notice before potentially damaging earthquake tremors occur.
Officials stated that when a sufficiently strong earthquake is detected, alerts will be automatically sent to British Columbians via cellphones, radios, and televisions.
Plans are in place to expand the warning system later this year to include parts of Quebec and Ontario.
