Many sleeping on the south coast of B.C. woke up to a very scary bump in the night at 11:39 p.m. yesterday, as they were rocked by the biggest earthquake to hit the region in years.
The quake took locals totally by surprise, as there were no advance warnings to help them prepare. The magnitude 4.8 earthquake has prompted locals to start worrying about when the next “big one” will hit the coastal region. And though the epicenter was northeast of Victoria, the quake has clearly had an impact on people in surrounding areas. Here’s what we can learn about the earthquake so far by checking out what people are reporting on Twitter:
Many woke to find their beds and belongings shaking
While people’s buildings and belongings got rattled, little damage was reported. Still, the earthquake is nothing to take lightly. “It’s the kind of shaking that’s definitely stronger than a truck driving by,” said Honn Kao, an earthquake seismologist with Geological Survey of Canada in an interview with National Post.
That was scary. Laying in bed and the whole thing just started shaking. #bcearthquake #earthquake https://t.co/pLyG7cA86S
— Logan (@queercub) December 30, 2015
I just woke up to an earthquake and my bed hitting the wall. #surreybc #BCEarthquake
— Erin Jones (@RunningEJo) December 30, 2015
My Christmas tree shook during the earthquake. I thought it would topple over LOL #vancouver #bcearthquake
— Vanessa Simpson (@VanessaNSimpson) December 30, 2015
Some felt their entire house shake
The earthquake is considered a “moderate” one but still left quite an impression on those who felt it.
“Most of the reports described that they heard a loud rumble and they felt their building was shaking,” explains Kao. “Some described that they had a slight swing of their lights, that kind of thing.”
House shook and then cracked. Then pulled. #BCearthquake
— Leisa (@leisaleisa) December 30, 2015
Wow! That just shook my house! #BCEarthquake https://t.co/1Ql9XthWGY
— Cst Anne-Marie Clark (@VPD2Fox15) December 30, 2015
I suddenly woke up,my bed and dresser shaking, heart pounding and all I could think of was "it's a GHOST!" #geologyskillsfail #bcearthquake
— Lesley Stokes (@NorthernGeo) December 30, 2015
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For several, it was their first earthquake
This isn’t surprising — this was “the largest earthquake in this region in many years,” explained Department of Natural Resources seismologist John Cassidy in an interview with CBC News. He added, “It’s very clearly a good reminder of the seismicity in this region, that we live in a very active earthquake zone.”
https://twitter.com/kaiju_rapture/status/682104847395454976
Can honestly say that's the first earthquake I remember feeling #bcearthquake
— Tyler Stefurak (@StefXCV) December 30, 2015
Quake felt in many different areas
The epicenter was 60 kilometres deep, so the quake was felt across the region.
Holy moly that was quite the shake here in Langford #BCearthquake
— Thomas Harrison (@TJHarrison63) December 30, 2015
Felt that earthquake in Surrey #BCearthquake
— Judy K. Mann (@JudyKMann) December 30, 2015
Holy moly that was quite the shake here in Langford #BCearthquake
— Thomas Harrison (@TJHarrison63) December 30, 2015
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Some were more prepared than others
In all seriousness, though, this earthquake has prompted many to start preparing for B.C.’s “big one.” We can joke about this quake in B.C. now, but it doesn’t hurt to start getting together survival kits that feature more than tequila to get ready for a bigger quake.
#Earthquake kit officially opened.#bcearthquake pic.twitter.com/WnhzPqFizj
— FunPoliceYVR (@FunPoliceYVR) December 30, 2015
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Many still feeling freaked out by the surprise earthquake
And who can blame them? We should just be thankful no injuries were reported.
hard to tell whether I'm feeling small tremor aftershocks or if it's just my body's memory of the quake. #bcearthquake
— Raffi Cavoukian (@Raffi_RC) December 30, 2015
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