By Melissa MacIntosh-Young, Staff Reporter
Residents across Lamont County reported feeling the ground shake Saturday morning after an earthquake rattled parts of central Alberta on May 9th.
The tremor, which was recorded northeast of Edmonton, was felt in communities throughout the county, including Lamont, Bruderheim, Mundare, Andrew and the St. Michael area, with many residents taking to social media shortly after the quake to share their experiences.
According to preliminary reports from earthquake monitoring agencies, the quake measured approximately 4.5 on the Richter Scale in magnitude and struck northeast of the Edmonton region Saturday morning. No major injuries or widespread damage had been reported as of Saturday afternoon, but the shaking was strong enough to rattle homes, windows and household items across much of east-central Alberta. (volcanodiscovery.com)
Terrie Rosa, who lives about 25 minutes north of Lamont, described a frightening start to her morning. “Just after 9 a.m. I was in the house having coffee when there was a loud bang and the house shook for about 10 seconds,” Rosa said. “Pictures fell off the wall and some stuff fell off our dresser. The cats went crazy.”
Ashley Costain, who lives about 20 minutes north of Lamont near the corner of Highway 831 and Township Road 584, said “I was actually in the shower when it happened and suddenly the whole house started shaking,” Costain said.
“Three of my kids came running into my room because we all genuinely thought a vehicle had hit the house, especially since we live right off Highway 831.
“We had a couple photos fall off the walls, but thankfully nothing was damaged and everyone is okay,” she added. “It only lasted around three to five seconds, but it definitely startled all of us. I’ve never experienced an earthquake before, so it was pretty surreal.”
Cheri Starko, who lives near St. Michael, said the sensation initially felt more like a powerful gust of wind or an explosion nearby than an earthquake.
“I was sitting on the couch and it felt like a plow wind hit the house,” Starko said. “I looked out at our flag and it was just a normal breeze. Another way I would describe it was like there was an explosion somewhere close,” she added.
“As far as I know there has been no damage to our home.”
Several other Lamont County residents also reported hearing a loud rumble before feeling a brief but noticeable shaking move through their homes.
Earthquakes are relatively uncommon in Alberta compared to western coastal regions, but seismic activity has become more closely monitored in recent years as both natural and industry-related earthquakes have been detected throughout the province.
Experts say most Alberta earthquakes are considered minor to moderate and rarely cause significant damage. Saturday’s quake is among the more widely felt seismic events in the Edmonton region in recent years. Natural Resources Canada and Earthquakes Canada continue to monitor the event, and officials say aftershocks are possible following an earthquake of this size.
READ THIS AND SO MUCH MORE IN THE LATEST EDITION OF THE LAMONT LEADER! [CLICK HERE]
