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Did you feel it? 4.3 magnitude earthquake hits near Victoria, B.C

VICTORIA, B.C. — Some Puget Sound residents were rattled overnight by the largest earthquake in the Northwest in more than a decade.

The United States Geological Survey reported that a 4.8 magnitude earthquake rattled off about 11 miles northeast of Victoria, B.C., 85 miles northwest of Seattle, at 11:39 p.m. Tuesday.

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But according to the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, the reading in Canada was 4.3 magnitude, and because the earthquake was centered near Victoria, that would be the official reading.

PNSN said the quake is the largest earthquake in the Northwest region since 2004, when a magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit near Newport, Oregon.

There was no tsunami threat, no reported damage and no injuries from the 30-mile-deep quake.

KIRO 7 was flooded with calls overnight from people who reported feeling the quake as far south as Seattle, and people on social media reported feeling the quake in Sedro Woolley, Anacortes, Blaine, Granite Falls, Hoquiam, Burlington and many other locations.

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"(It) woke me out of a dead sleep on Whidbey Island in Oak Harbor!!! The whole house shook and everything on the walls rattled for what seemed like 10 seconds or so!" said Sarah Felger.

"Felt it in Lake City. Had my helmet swaying back and forth on the handlebars of my bike," said Greg Huey.
"Just about knocked me off the couch. It moved our entire two story log house in a big sideways jerk here in North Bellingham," said Kristin Uhrig.

The quake was enough to prompt subway services in Vancouver, B.C., to shut down overnight as a precaution.

Washington State's earthquake early warning system, which is still under development, gave a 20-second warning of the quake, PNSN said. The system is not yet live for the public.

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Meanwhile, a new online mapping tool lets Seattle residents search zoom in on the natural hazards that threaten their homes or workplaces.

Users can find out whether their office or apartment building sits on soil that will turn to goo in a major earthquake. Other overlays show areas vulnerable to flooding, landslides and quake-triggered tsunamis.Click here for a larger version of the interactive map.

The project is an indirect spinoff from this summer's gripping New Yorker article, "The Really Big One," according to the Seattle Times.  Read more here.