Residents of the South Okanagan received some jostling on the evening of January 17 after a magnitude 2.7 earthquake rattled the region.
The earthquake was centred 16 kilometres north of Oliver, at 49 degrees, 31 minutes north,119 degrees, 51 minutes west, at a depth of .5 kilometres, occurring at 11:09 p.m. The United States Geological Survey located the quake on Google maps as being slightly west of the south end of Vaseaux Lake, just east of Willowbrook.
No damage has been reported from the relatively minor tremblor, but the quake startled many residents, several of whom felt that it was more intense than an 4.3 earthquake that took place on Nov. 18 near Omak, Washington.
Comments from residents affected ranged from those who thought someone had crashed into their house to those who experienced shaking, doors rattling and pictures hanging askew.
“Something shook Okanagan Falls a short time after 11 p.m., commented Joy Kelly of Okanagan Falls. “ When I heard the sound of an explosion and felt the entire house shake for a number of seconds, I looked out my living room window to see neighbors exiting their houses to explore what had just happened.”
The quake seemed to have its greatest effect on residents from the Okanagan Falls and Kaleden area, although there were also reports of the quake from Penticton and Willowbrook. Please see the story “Evening earthquake startles residents of the South Okanagan,” on the Review’s website at : www.kermeosreview.com for resident’s reaction to the quake.
There were no reports of the quake being felt in the Similkameen.
For more information, contact the USGS at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/48.50.-121.-119.php