At approximately 4:52 p.m. PDT, some Kootenay locals felt the earth wobble.
The shaking lasted approximately 20 to 30 seconds, with a small pause in the middle of the incident, with some people reportedly feeling tremors as far north as Calgary.
The 6.5 magnitude earthquake’s epicentre was located 10 km below ground, between the Challis and Boise National Forests in south-central Idaho.
As of 6:37 p.m. March 31, 2020, the USGS reported the estimated fatalities and economic losses in the “green”, meaning there was likely minimal damage and no deaths. But if the epicentre had been in a densely populated city, the consequences would have been much more severe.
The most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Idaho was measured at 6.9 mww in 1983, killing two children and causing an estimated $12.5 million in damage in Challis.
For British Colombians and Idaho residents alike, it was a rocky reminder of Mother Nature’s power.
