Things are shaking up in Vancouver Island literally. Residents reported to the USGS that they felt “seasick and dizzy” when a high magnitude earthquake struck near the island.
Initial reports said the earthquake was a 6.8 magnitude, however, updated information has reduced the earthquake to a 6.4.
The center of the quake was 175 miles west of Vancouver and close to 50 miles underground. The USGS said that about 2,000 people who live near the epicenter may have felt strong shaking, while about 248,000 people were estimated to have felt moderate or barely no shaking.
The earthquake was also felt in parts of Seattle, Washington.
So far there are no threats of a tsunami ravaging the island but the Pacific Tsunami Warning center says authorities are prepared if anything changes.
The center said in bulletin that “Based on the earthquake magnitude, location and historic tsunami records, a damaging tsunami is not expected along the California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, and Alaska coasts."
Research scientist at the Pacific Geosciences Centre in Victoria Honn Kao told the CBC that an earthquake usually needs to be a 7.0 magnitude in order to pose a tsunami threat.
“It's unlikely there is any tsunami danger but people should expect aftershocks,” he said.
The quake is the strongest to hit Vancouver Island since 1946.
No damages, injuries, or deaths have been reported from the quake.
