7.7 Mag. earthquake hits Haida Gwaii

Haida Gwaii earthquake map (USGS)

by Dave Preston

One of the largest earthquakes in Canadian history struck off the coast of British Columbia Saturday night, sparking tsunami warnings up and down the coast and causing evacuations in Hawaii.

The 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck at 8:04 p.m. below the island of Haida Gwaii. By 12:25 a.m., 13 aftershocks in the 4.0 to 5.0 magnitude range were recorded in the area, according to the United States Geologic Survey.

Initially tsunami warnings and advisories were put into effect for the north and central coast areas of British Columbia. Tsunami advisories were added for the south coast, Vancouver Island, Oregon and the north coast of California.

No reports of significant damage or injuries were reported in Northern B.C. or from Haida Gwaii Saturday night.

Later Saturday evening, a tsunami warning was issued for all of the Hawaiian Islands and officials began evacuating residents and visitors from low lying areas. Waves of between three and six feet were expected.