Earthquake wakes the region
By Boundary Sentinel
The Kootenay / Boundary region woke to the impact of a magnitude 4.6 earthquake in the early hours this Friday morning.
The earthquake’s epicenter was just outside of Omak, Washington at 5:09 a.m., the second in a week according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.
The earthquake that took place last week in the same area was only a 2 in magnitude and was not felt as widespread.
People in 82 different zip code areas and 12 cities from Seattle to Spokane and into Canada from Trail to Nelson through Grand Forks and all the way north to Kelowna reported to the United States Geological Survey’s earthquake hazard program that they felt the reverberations of the quake. Castlegar resident Rob Planiden says the quake was nothing to get all shook up over. “I was laying in bed with the wife at around 5:10 a.m. and heard the house go creak-creak, creak-creak,” he said. “That was it, it was just no big deal.” Planedin has lived in the area for 46 years, and said he has felt three other earthquakes. “There was a really big one back in ’86 where the chandelier was shaking and everything, but the one this morning was nothing.”
Natural Resource Canada says there are no reports of damage resulting from the earthquake at this time
Earthquake magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake. Magnitude is determined from measurements on seismographs. A 4.0 level earthquake could be felt indoors by many, outdoors by few during the day. At night, some people would be awakened; dishes, windows, doors disturbed; walls make cracking sound; sensations like heavy truck striking building; and standing motor cars rocked noticeably. Links: U.S. Geological Survey http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Quakes/uw11181309.php#details Did You Feel It? http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/uw/11181309/us/index.html
