Did you feel it? A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit at 1:26 p.m., 27 km from Sechelt, at a depth of 1 km, according to Natural Resources Canada.
The federal agency says no reports of damage have been noted at this time.
Squamish is about 35 km from the epicentre.
Near the Squamish Airport, meteorologist Jason Ross said he felt "One heck of a jolt."
Soon after the shaking started, the Natural Resources Canada Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) alert sounded.
According to a District of Squamish alert, there is no tsunami threat.
The muni alert said District infrastructure is being inspected.
A spokesperson for Woodfibre LNG said there are no known impacts to the Woodfibre LNG site due to today’s earthquake.
"We are assessing work areas to ensure safe working conditions," said WLNG's Sean Beardow.
"Our workforce mustered on site as a precaution but no evacuation was required."
A spokesperson for FortisBC said its crews working on the Eagle Mountain-Woodfibre Gas Pipeline tunnel noticed the earthquake; activities were paused and then onsite crews mustered. Tunnelling has since resumed.
The Sea to Sky Gondola has halted operations for the rest of the day, as a precaution.
"Due to the earthquake we are no longer uploading visitors today out of an abundance of caution," reads a notice on the attraction's website.
Aftershocks are to be expected hours, days, or weeks after the main quake.
Aftershocks can cause building damage and falling debris.
Drop, cover and hold on during aftershocks.
The District notes the following tips to stay safe in the event of an earthquake
- If you are inside a building, move no more than a few steps, drop, cover and hold. Stay indoors—you do not have to evacuate a building straight away unless it is showing obvious signs of distress.
- If you are outdoors when the shaking starts, move no more than a few steps away from buildings, trees, street lights, and power lines, then drop, cover and hold.
- If you are on a sidewalk in a busy urban environment, either get into an entryway or foyer of a building and drop, cover and hold, or move into a clear wide street, but be careful of traffic and falling objects, then drop, cover and hold.
- If you are at the beach or near the coast, drop, cover and hold then move to higher ground immediately in case a tsunami follows the quake (note Squamish has a low hazard risk for tsunamis).
- If you are driving, pull over to a clear location, stop and stay there with your seatbelt fastened until the shaking stops. Once the shaking stops, proceed with caution and avoid bridges or ramps that might have been damaged.
- If you are in a mountainous area or near unstable slopes or cliffs, be alert for falling debris or landslides.
More to come...
*Please note, as is standard after these types of events, the details are being updated as they are confirmed.
