5.0 magnitude earthquake north of Ottawa
Quake reports have flooded into the USGS website.
We experienced rumbling and shaking in the NCPR studio at 1:41 pm from a 5.0 magnitude earthquake centered 40 to 50 miles north of Ottawa. That’s according to the US Geological Survey. Listeners have emailed from Potsdam, Saranac Lake, Burlington and Chestertown reporting feeling the quake. Reports of shaking felt in Windsor, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal have come in as well.
According to the Associated Press:
The quake seemed to last for about 30 seconds in Ottawa and rattled downtown buildings, homes in west-end Ottawa and government offices across the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Que.
We have no reports of damage or injuries. Please feel free to update this information by posting comments as the story develops.
Read the USGS summary of the temblor event.
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UPDATE: While we’ve received no word of injuries, the CBC reports a 150-foot section of road collapsed near the quake’s epicenter–about 75 kilometers of Ottawa.
Gracefield, Quebec–near the epicentre of the quake–is calling for emergency help after tremors felled the steeple of its church and damaged several other buildings, including the town hall.
The Ottawa Citizen newspaper reports three public schools in Ottawa sustained minor damage. Again no injuries.
USGS link with prelim report:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/us2010xwa7.php#details
Says it was a 5.5 magnitude
From Ottawa, ON: loud rumbling and pronounced shaking here, lasting maybe 15-20 seconds. Objects rattled off kitchen counter. People downtown are leaving buildings and standing outside.
I was on a third story of a mid-1800s building in downtown Kingston. Oddly, only the TV news guy with the camera on his shoulder didn’t feel it.
There was a rumbling sound and the windows shook here in West Stockholm.
Here at Coreys, between Tupper and Saranac Lake, the windows shook and the pictures on the wall moved. We also heard creaking in the attic — either an earthquake or a moose.
We felt it in Troy, MI
Good early summary of earthquake event here in Ontario:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/earthquake-shakes-central-canada-us/article1614941/
I felt it at home in Kars, my husband felt it at work in Kanata. Some cell phone service in Ottawa is apparently down, likely from an over-load of calls.
Listening to CFRA’s live updates (news/talk station here) there are no reports of injuries or major structural damage as of yet.
Felt the house shaking and lots of dishes rattled but nothing broke. It felt very much like the way it does when a roller used for paving is going by. There’s lots of shale under this area (halfway between Potsdam and Canton, about a mile north of Crary Mills) so vibration is strongly felt. Didn’t seem to bother the cats in the slightest, though.
I’ve heard for years that we’re in an earthquake zone (Massena in the 1940s comes to mind) but this was the first time I’ve ever felt it so strongly. Waiting for aftershocks.
Ed Alfonsin
Potsdam
We felt the buildings swaying in Akron, Ohio.
Felt it here in Erie, PA right off the Lake. Hope all is well with everyone!
We felt it here in Andover ME.
felt it pretty strong in erie, pennsylvania, usa. on 6 floor of building and felt office swaying back and forth.
Felt it here in the second story of an office building in Rochester NY for about 5 seconds.
Felt the quake in Sarnia Ontario
I’m about 30 miles from the epicentre in a 1939 cottage. The whole place was shaking like mad and it sounded like a tornado, but there is no apparant damage. Pictures stayed on the walls though.
USGS earthquake map:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/dyfi/events/us/2010xwa7/us/index.html
I entered a report from here in Burlington (Did You Feel It?)
mild, wavy motion that made the house creak
I’m 45km from the epicenter (in Ottawa) and it all started as a low growl. Thought it was a low flying airplane as the building I was in sits along a departure flight path. It wasn’t until I felt the floor shaking. Soft vibrations…..then came the energy wave. Large and loud. Felt like I was surfing. Some items fell in the store. Lights swayed. Roof was creeking. Then calm. I’ve been through a few quakes and I was very relaxed about it. Everyone else cleared the store into the street. I drove home to see if any damage to my residence. None found but my neighbours were all sitting outside. Not wanting to go back inside.
I felt it here in Winooski, VT outside of Burlington. A friend was on the phone with me in Milton, VT and said she felt it too. My husband felt it while in conference in South Burlington but, my parents didn’t feel it in Shelburne, VT…. At first, I thought it was a train passing but, looked outside and saw nothing…. so weird.
Felt it in the good old roc city. The impact felt like you were in a house that is located by some train tracks. And your minding your own business and just sitting there maybe watching T.V, or going over some important business documents, and BAMM!!!!!! Here comes the 6:37PM train that Runs to NYC everyday. And the building starts swaying and the ground is rumbling and it sounds like a constant boom of thunder. You sit up in a panic, you spill your water all over your new pants, and whiskers, your cat, jolts in the air and lands right on your head, claws start digging in your eyes. And you run, screaming in a panic and BAM!!! You hit the gosh darn wall and you pass out. Then you wake 4 hours later with cat pee on your face. You stare around the room in a panic and nothing has changed. You turn on the TV cause the six O’Clock news is on 10 NBC and oh look a earthquake. HOW BAD WAS THIS TELL ME..