A 4.4 magnitude earthquake rattled the Bas-Saint-Laurent, Gaspésie, and Côte-Nord regions on Thursday morning. The tremor’s epicenter was 25 kilometers northeast of Mont-Joli, Que., in the St. Lawrence River, according to Earthquakes Canada. The quake was felt in several areas such as Rivière-du-Loup, Rimouski, Baie-des-Chaleurs, Baie-Comeau, and Sept-Îles.
The City of Matane confirmed on Facebook that no damage was reported, and their teams are prepared for any situation. The CLSC Matane was evacuated as a precaution, but everyone safely returned to the building, as per Santé Québec Bas-Saint-Laurent.
An expert mentioned that the Lower St-Lawrence area is not accustomed to moderate earthquakes. Christopher Boucher, a seismic analyst at Natural Resources Canada, explained that the region has ancient faults that can trigger earthquakes unexpectedly. He highlighted that daily occurrences of lower magnitude earthquakes are recorded in the region.
The impact of such earthquakes can vary based on proximity and the type of soil. Boucher mentioned that people may feel five to 10 seconds of shaking or swaying during the event. The last earthquake of similar magnitude in the area dates back to 1999, south of Sept-Îles. Boucher encouraged those who experienced the quake to report their observations on the Earthquakes Canada website.