Earthquakes Canada has reported a 3.9-magnitude earthquake north of Shawville, Quebec, on Tuesday afternoon. Residents in Ottawa, Maniwaki, and Pembroke felt the quake around 12:36 p.m., with reports indicating weak shaking. The agency mentioned that earthquakes of this magnitude are typically felt in the region but seldom result in damage.
Historical records show that no local earthquake in the past 127 years has exceeded a magnitude of 5.6, recorded in September 1944. Earthquakes in 2010 and 2013 were around a magnitude of 5, while major earthquakes are classified as magnitude 7 and higher.
One Pembroke resident, Briony Baxter, described feeling her house shake during the earthquake while having lunch. Her pets also reacted to the tremors, with her dog jumping off the couch and her cat displaying signs of distress. Baxter recalled hearing noises from the basement that made her panic, although no significant damage was reported in her home.
The earthquake occurred in a seismic zone in western Quebec, near where a magnitude 5.2 quake was detected in 2013, according to seismologist Michal Koraj. Koraj explained that typically, damage starts to occur around a magnitude of 5 on the Richter scale.