Another earthquake hits Pacific Northwest bringing total to 87 in past month
Oct 4, 2024, 11:55 AM
Another earthquake hits the Pacific Northwest. (USGS map with circle added)
(USGS map with circle added)
Early Friday morning, a 3.9 magnitude earthquake struck near Vancouver, British Columbia. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network reported the tremor occurred about 2 a.m. in the Salish Sea, about 15 miles west of Vancouver.
The U.S. Geological Survey noted the quake originated 38 miles below the surface, causing mild tremors felt in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. No immediate reports of damage or injuries were made.
Related news: Fourth earthquake in a week shakes up Western Washington
If you experienced the earthquake, please report it to the USGS Earthquake Report.
PRELIM Earthquake: M3.9, 25.2 km WSW from Vancouver, BC at 2024/10/04 02:08 PDT https://t.co/XeVc9iCfFw
Did You Feel It?: https://t.co/mrDBGYnBKY pic.twitter.com/vCeJJblpdC— PNSN (@PNSN1) October 4, 2024
In the past month, the Pacific Northwest has experienced 87 earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 or greater, according to earthquaketrack.com.
The good news is that it’s not necessarily an indication of a more severe earthquake. The bad news is a significant earthquake in the region is long overdue.
“An earthquake like this is going to shake the hell out of the coast,” Earth Sciences Information Officer for the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, James Roddey, told the Bandon Western World.
Roddey said a recurring 9.0-average magnitude event is known as the Cascadia earthquake. It last struck the region in 1700, according to the USGS.
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Here are the details of the four notable earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest in September and early October:
On October 2, there was a 4.0 magnitude earthquake off the Oregon coast:
- Time: 3:24 p.m.
- Location: Approximately 150 miles from the Oregon coast.
- Depth: 8 miles beneath the ocean’s surface.
- Impact: Moderate tremors were felt across coastal areas, according to earthquake.usgs.gov.
Also on October 2, there was a 4.1 tremor Southwest of Port McNeill, Canada:
- Time: 8:35 a.m.
- Location: Southwest of Port McNeill, Vancouver Island.
- Depth: 6 miles beneath the seabed.
- Impact: Mild shaking was felt in coastal communities, but no significant damage or injuries were reported, according to earthquaketrack.com.
On October 1, there was a 2.7 earthquake near Bremerton, WA:
- Time: 10:49 a.m.
- Location: Bremerton, WA.
- Depth: 16 miles.
- Impact: Mild tremors were felt, part of a series of three earthquakes in the Puget Sound region within a week, according to USGS.
And on September 30, a 2.7 quake struck 12 miles North-Northeast of Kootenai, Idaho:
- Time: 8:15 a.m.
- Location: Near McArthur Lake, halfway between Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry.
- Depth: 6 miles.
- Impact: Weak to light-intensity tremors were felt in the surrounding areas, according to USGS.
Bill Kaczaraba is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read his stories here. Follow Bill on X, formerly known as Twitter, here and email him here.
