Powerful earthquake hit Vancouver Island in British Columbia

A well known Canadian tourism region was hit by a strong 6.6 earthquake It was recorded off the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada shook coastal residents Wednesday evening.

Event Time

2014-04-24 03:10:12 UTC
2014-04-23 19:10:12 UTC-08:00 at epicenter

49.846°N 127.444°W depth=11.4km (7.1mi)

Nearby Cities

94km (58mi) S of Port Hardy, Canada
159km (99mi) W of Campbell River, Canada
177km (110mi) W of Courtenay, Canada
202km (126mi) WNW of Port Alberni, Canada
336km (209mi) WNW of Victoria, Canada

No major damage was reported so far.

The quake registered a magnitude of 6.6, according to the United States Geological Survey, and it happened at 8:10 p.m.

The quake’s epicentre was about 94 km south of Port Hardy and 157 km west of Campbell River, according to the USGS, and it occurred at a depth of 11.4 km.

The strong quake was quickly followed by two more aftershocks, according to the USGS.

The first, registering a magnitude of 5.0, came at 8:20 p.m. and the second hit twenty minutes later and registered 4.2. Both were located near the initial epicentre.

Based on information about the earthquake and historic tsunami records, the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center predicted that a tsunami would not follow the quakes.

It was brief, but powerful, and felt like it rolled from north to south.

The earthquake and its aftershocks occurred at the Cascadia Subduction Zone near the point where the North American Plate meets the Explorer and Juan de Fuca plates.

At a magnitude of 6.6, the initial quake was strong enough to “cause damage to poorly constructed buildings and other structures” within 100 kilometres, according to information from Natural Resources Canada.