A small earthquake was felt by many living in Greater Victoria municipalities in the early morning of Thursday, March 23rd around 4:13 a.m.
The quake, which struck a mere 7 km northeast of Oak Bay, was a small one with a scale of only 2.5 magnitude. It wouldn’t have felt like anything more than a low rumble and those who were awake might have heard a low end frequency.
For context, the largest earthquake Vancouver Island has ever had was a 7.3 magnitude earthquake back in 1946. This seismic event hit the island near Port Alberni and caused considerable damage across Vancouver Island. It was felt as far south as Portland, Oregon and as far north as Prince Rupert.
Many people reported the Thursday morning earthquake to seismic reporting services in Canada and described what they experienced.
“I didn’t feel the quake, but I heard it,” said an Oak Bay resident from Bowker Avenue. “The sound was a low rumble, followed by the sound of a glass of water, vibrating, or shaking very slightly on a bedside table. But I did not ‘feel’ the quake.”
The quake was even felt by our American neighbours across the Salish Sea in Anacortes, Washington. They reported feeling it for 15 to 20 seconds.
“Lying in bed on ground level, I felt the bed moving subtly,” they reported. “Wasn’t sure it was a quake at first, but it kept moving so I figured it must be. My partner kept sleeping next to me, never woke up to it.”
Those who reported were from Sidney, North Saanich, Brentwood Bay, Victoria, Oak Bay and even Langford.
