Shockwaves felt across multiple US states after strong earthquake rattles millions in Canada
A massive earthquake near America’s northern border shook millions in southern Canada and sent shockwaves through several US states.
The magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck at 12:36 a.m. ET on Tuesday, just 65 kilometers north of Ottawa, Ontario, home to more than 1.1 million people.
Shockwaves from this seismic event were felt by people in many nearby cities, including Montreal and its 4.4 million residents, and northeastern US states such as New York and Vermont, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).
Earthquakes Canada, the Canadian counterpart to the USGS, confirmed that the quake spread seismic waves across an area about 300 miles in diameter and produced thousands of reports of mild to moderate shaking.
The agency added that earthquakes of this magnitude are frequently felt throughout the region but rarely cause serious damage.
A resident of Ottawa’s Constance Bay told CTV News: ‘The building was shaking and it sounded like a big truck was going by at the beginning. ‘It increased to the point where we could feel the vibration in the buildings.’
“The house was shaking and it scared us,” added another person from Otter Lake, Quebec.
No injuries have been reported at this time.
This is a story of breaking. More details to follow.
The US Geological Survey detects a major earthquake in southern Canada; shock waves reached northern New York, Vermont, Montreal and Ottawa.
Ottawa is just 65 kilometers from the earthquake’s epicenter and home to more than 1.1 million people
Canadian officials reported the quake was slightly weaker than U.S. monitoring stations said and described Tuesday’s event as a 3.9 magnitude tremor.
Canada’s National Capital Region, which includes the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, has not experienced an earthquake stronger than magnitude 5.6 since authorities in the country began keeping accurate seismic records after 1899.
Record-breaking earthquakes hit both Cornwall, Ontario and Massena, New York in the United States in 1944. A pair of earthquakes in Canada in 2010 and 2013 measured magnitudes of approximately 5.0.
There were reports of tremors in southern Canada, including Montreal (R), which has a population of more than 4 million.
