'My heart rate went up': Metro Vancouverites react after earthquake shakes region
Did you feel it?
This afternoon, Metro Vancouver was rocked by a 4.7 magnitude earthquake and of course, folks headed to social media to make sure that what they just experienced was the earth-shaking not their washing machines on the fritz.
Who else felt that earthquake in Vancouver?
— Hamed Amiri (@Hamed_Amiri) February 21, 2025
Did you feel that ‘quake?
— Jas Johal (@JasJohalBC) February 21, 2025
Only time people flock back to X is to validate whether or not the shaking they just felt was an earthquake or not…#vancouver #earthquake
— Tanya Colledge Head, APR (@TanyaColledge) February 21, 2025
Some folks were definitely shocked by how powerful the earthquake felt.
Most significant quake ive ever felt.
— smooth (@smoothmedia) February 21, 2025
Yep. Loud rumble, and then it felt like a truck going past, built up to the point where things were shaking and rattling. Lasted about 40 secs – #NorthVan #Earthquake
— RHP 🍁 (@RedHeadedPatti) February 21, 2025
Well, that was a little scary… Really felt that in Vancouver… Almost knocked me out of my chair! #earthquake #vancouverearthquake #sechelt #canada pic.twitter.com/QomxfyswlK
— johnny V. (@punkrokk65) February 21, 2025
So is the big one upon us soon or…
— lol🇨🇦 (@navygreen18) February 21, 2025
Yes . Everything was shaking . I don’t scare easily but my heart rate went up. I am in west Coquitlam.
— CYNTHIA JONES (@CYNTHIA43376979) February 21, 2025
Of course, people had to bring some humour into it, because what else are you supposed to do in the aftermath of a slightly terrifying natural occurrence, especially when you live in a region where “The Big One” is supposedly long overdue?
Whoa. The earth just moved in #yvr & not an aftershock of Team Canada’s epic #4nationsfaceoff win last night.#earthquake
— BB (@80srocknrollla) February 21, 2025
Vancouver earthquake #earthquake #Vancouver #vancouverearthquake #bcearthquake #bcquake pic.twitter.com/1xYKsf6y96
— Basil Parker (@basilparker) February 21, 2025
everyone in vancouver right now 🫨🫨🫨 #earthquake pic.twitter.com/xTg0I2uKiQ
— Davis Lougheed (@davislougheed) February 21, 2025
And here I thought another overpass was hit. #earthquake #vancouver
— Devon O’Donnell (@ODonnellDevon07) February 21, 2025
Mother Nature just twerked #Vancouver #earthquake
— Jojoba Prince (@yvngdarko) February 21, 2025
Despite the jokes, today’s quake is an important reminder to stock your emergency kits and be prepared for larger-scale natural disasters.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the seismic event had an epicentre about 27 km north of Sechelt, 32 km west of Squamish, and 57 km northwest of downtown Vancouver. The precise location of the epicentre was within Tetrahedron Provincial Park in the Sunshine Coast area.
This seismic event at 1:26 p.m. originally had a reported magnitude of 5.1, but it was later downgraded by the U.S. Geological Survey and Earthquakes Canada to a magnitude 4.8 event. However, later on Friday afternoon, Earthquakes Canada elevated the magnitude back to 5.1. Then by Friday evening, it was again downgraded to 4.7.
Given the earthquake’s location, there are no tsunami risks.
For each 1.0 magnitude increment, an earthquake carries 10 times the strength, representing exponential growth in its potency. For instance, compared to a magnitude 4.0 earthquake, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake is 10 times more powerful, a magnitude 6.0 is 100 times more powerful, and a magnitude 7.0 earthquake is 1,000 times more powerful.
Today’s quake comes after a 3.8 magnitude earthquake that rattled many in Victoria and Metro Vancouver in October 2024.
Some experts say B.C. experiences about 400 quakes each year, but only a few are felt, and structurally damaging earthquakes only occur about once a decade.
Did you feel this afternoon’s earthquake? Let us know in the comments.
With files from Kenneth Chan and Claire Fenton