Earthquake Shakes Residents Of San Juan Islands, Bellingham

Many residents of the San Juan Islands were given an early wake up call when an earthquake measuring 4.5 on Richter scale struck on Monday morning.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says the temblor, which hit at 5:02 a.m. and was centered about six miles east of Orcas, was felt by many in the Bellingham area and as far north as Vancouver, British Columbia and as far south as Seattle.

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USGS officials report the quake had a depth of 16.6 kilometers and did not prompt a tsunami warning.

No damage has been reported and seismologists say the threat of any significant aftershocks has now diminished.

The quake follows smaller tremors which have recently been recorded in the region, including one with a magnitude of 3.2 that struck six miles from Snoqualmie on Feb. 27, and a 2.7 shaker which hit near Fall City three days earlier.