Photo: USGS
A 4.3-magnitude earthquake was reported in the state of Washington Sunday (October 9) night, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The earthquake was reported to have started at 7:21 p.m. local time and its epicenter was located near Port Townsend, Pacific Northwest Seismic Network director Harold Tobin told King5.com. Residents spanning as far north as Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and as south as Olympia, Washington, were reported to have felt the natural disaster.
The 4.3-magnitude earthquake did not result in aftershocks, according to Tobin, who noted one of its size typically occurs every few years. Alerts would've been sent using the same system tested locally last week had the earthquake measured beyond 5.0-magnitude and Tobin acknowledged that local residents should take the event as a reason to better prepare for other natural disasters.
"I really see an earthquake like this as a wakeup call for all of us," Tobin said via King5.com. "A reminder that we live in earthquake country."
The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said a tsunami was not expected to take place after the earthquake. Earthquakes in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. typically result from slip-on faults in different geographic and geological settings, according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.
Last week, a 4.2-magnitude earthquake was reported to have struck Anchorage, Alaska, and several nearby areas, but resulted in no reported damage.