UPDATE 1 -- Strong earthquake strikes off Canada's Vancouver Island, felt in Seattle

[News_Editor]

UPDATE 1 -- Strong earthquake strikes off Canada's Vancouver Island, felt in Seattle

2011-09-10 03:25:31 GMT+7 (ICT)

VANCOUVER (BNO NEWS) -- A strong earthquake struck off Vancouver Island in British Columbia on early Friday afternoon, seismologists said, with tremors felt as far away as the capital of Vancouver and the U.S. state of Washington.

The 6.4-magnitude earthquake at 12.41 p.m. local time (1941 GMT) was centered about 119 kilometers (73 miles) west-northwest of Ucluelet, a district municipality in British Columbia on the west coast of Vancouver Island. It struck about 25.9 kilometers (16.1 miles deep), making it a shallow earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS estimated that some 2,000 people living near the epicenter may have felt strong shaking, while around 248,000 people were estimated to have felt light to moderate shaking. Tremors were felt as far away as Vancouver, the country's capital, and Seattle in the U.S. state of Washington.

Police in both Seattle and Vancouver said there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, which was initially measured as 6.7 magnitude, and the USGS said there was a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

As earthquakes below magnitude 7 do usually not generate tsunamis, no tsunami warning was issued by the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center. "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," the center said in a bulletin. "Some of these areas may experience non-damaging sea level changes."

In November 2004, a strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck off Vancouver Island, generating a small tsunami but causing no damage or casualties. The country's deadliest quake on record happened in 1774, when a powerful quake of unknown magnitude killed at least 300 people on the island of Newfoundland.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-09-10

[bkkjames]

I thought Victoria was the capital-over to mr. Sockeye himself-Ian Forbes for clarification

[Scott]

They did get the Capital wrong, but hopefully the remainder of the information is accurate.

[geriatrickid]

Victoria is the provincial capital and Ottawa in the east is the nation's capital. I would expec that the quake probably caused a few heart palpitations in Vic. The city is a retirement capital because of its mild weather. Vancouver is due for a major quake and when it hits, the city will become 3rd world overnight. The locals are not prepared and the building code is lacking. Unlike California, the infrastructure has not been reinforced and most people do not have 72 hours of emergency supplies.

Then again,how many farangs in Thailand are prepared for a natural disaster, e.g. flood, tsunami?

[bkkjames]

Jeeze geriatric, you make vancouver sound 3rd world already yet around the world it is widely regarded as one of if not the best places to live-as for the part about not having 72 hours supplies, speaking first hand, it is an unwritten rule to keep 3 x 24 cases of beer hidden away for such an emergency

[VocalNeal]

Victoria is the provincial capital and Ottawa in the east is the nation's capital. I would expect that ...

I would expect that the source is from the US. Whose lack of geographical knowledge is as well know as the Brits lack of concern about perfect teeth.

Victoria is the city of the "Newly wed or nearly dead" The are of concern would be Richmond which is built on an alluvial plain so any decent quake will liquefy the ground and it may sink into oblivion.

Edited September 10, 2011 by VocalNeal