Earthquakes Canada has reported a 3.9-magnitude earthquake occurring north of Shawville, Quebec, on Tuesday afternoon. Residents in Ottawa, Maniwaki, and Pembroke felt the tremors around 12:36 p.m., with most describing it as mild shaking. According to Earthquakes Canada, earthquakes of this magnitude are commonly felt in the region but typically do not result in significant damage.
The region has not experienced an earthquake above a magnitude of 5.6 since September 1944, based on government records dating back 127 years. In 2010 and 2013, earthquakes in the area measured around a magnitude of 5, while major earthquakes are classified as magnitude 7 and higher.
One resident, Briony Baxter of Pembroke, Ontario, shared her experience of feeling her house shake during the earthquake. Her pets also reacted to the tremors, with her dog jumping off the couch and her cat displaying signs of distress. Baxter mentioned hearing the washer and dryer in the basement rattling during the quake but noted that nothing fell off the walls in her home. She emphasized that the event was unmistakably an earthquake, distinct from the usual vibrations caused by passing helicopters from nearby Garrison Petawawa.
The earthquake occurred in a seismic zone in western Quebec, the same area where a 5.2-magnitude quake was recorded in 2013, according to seismologist Michal Koraj. Koraj explained that typically, damage begins to occur around a magnitude of 5 on the Richter scale.
