Anahim Lake’s Largest Earthquake in 40 years was only “A Little Bump”

Anahim Lake felt a little rumble and shimmy as a magnitude 3.7 earthquake hit within 50 kilometers southeast, along the volcanic belt.

Camille Brillon, a seismologist at Natural Resources Canada, says the earthquake was the largest quake in 40 years, but all that would have been felt or heard is “the rumble of semi-truck.”

“This is a larger one, but still a fairly minor earthquake,” Brillon says. “No damage is expected, it’s a little earthquake that happens as it’s built up in the [earth’s] crust over thousands of years… People might’ve felt a little bump or heard it. Nothing alarming too alarming though.”

The quake hit on January 30, within 50 kilometres of the Lake village, and within 60 kilometres of Bella Coola.

The area routinely experienced quakes between 2.5 and 3.1 on the Richter Scale through the last 20 years. A 3.5 was recorded several years ago, this 3.7 is the largest within a town’s limit.

Brillon says even though the earthquake was relatively light and people may not have felt the quake, any who did feel a tremor or heard a rumble in places they should not have, should make a report on Earthquakes Canada.

“It’s good to report it on our website, even if it felt small and insignificant. It gives us [seismologists] more information and potential data to be on the look out for more, as well as the communities that it could be affected.”