Early-morning earthquake jolts Vancouver Island, Lower Mainland – Cranbrook Daily Townsman

Residents on Vancouver Island woke to a magnitude 3.6 earthquake shortly after 4 a.m. Friday.

The early morning shake was reported 17.3 km deep and 12 km northeast of Ganges, off the east coast of Vancouver Island, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Online reports show people feeling the rumble up and down Vancouver Island and as far as the Lower Mainland.

“I was checking my security cams half awake tripping out thinking someone knocked a door down somewhere and shook the foundation of my house,” one person posted on Reddit. Other people said they were roused by a sudden jolt or the sound of pictures on their walls and their closet doors rattling.

Earthquakes that fall between a 3.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt, but rarely cause damage, according to Earthquakes Canada. The possibility of damage to poorly constructed buildings usually begins at 6.0 and overall serious damage at 7.0.

RELATED: Be Prepared: Are you ready for the ‘Big One?’

Yes, if you were just woken up by a rumble and a shake; that was an earthquake. It’s quakes like this that give us reminders to #beprepared. For more information on how to get prepared see our website https://t.co/rYyOU6uDOj #CSaan pic.twitter.com/QcEX6g9rfv

— Central Saanich Fire (@CSaanichFire) December 17, 2021

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