A 3.4 magnitude earthquake that struck off B.C.'s South Coast Saturday night was lightly felt by residents throughout the region, officials say.
Earthquakes Canada said the quake struck about 30 kilometres northeast of Sechelt, B.C. on the Sunshine Coast. No damage was reported or expected to occur.
Residents on the Sunshine Coast and Nanaimo reportedly felt the ground shake. Others living near Squamish took to social media to describe the tremors they felt.
@BlueBfan we had an earthquake here an hour ago in the Squamish area just north if Vancouver it was 3.5
— Mary Gargaro (@MarylynnGargaro) February 15, 2015
Holy sh!t #earthquake 12km west of #Vancouver Heard a huge rumble by the chief in #squamish about 8:15pm tonight.
— Jeane Wilson (@jeanwilson666) February 15, 2015
Don't ever want to feel that again.Earthquake in Vancouver bc and surrounding areas. Eeekkk!! ��������Scared the crap out of me ��
— Breann Casey (@Breann883) February 15, 2015
Meanwhile, the City of Vancouver took the opportunity to remind residents to be prepared for the big one.
Tonight's #earthquake is a good reminder to prepare for emergencies. Learn the risks, make a plan, get a kit: http://t.co/KrKrP0K3O1
— City of Vancouver (@CityofVancouver) February 15, 2015
Earthquakes are common in the Pacific Northwest due to locked geological plates under the ocean floor called the Cascadia subduction zone.
A local seismologist has said the odds of a megathrust earthquake and tsunami on Vancouver Island in the next 50 years is about one-in-10.
