OTTAWA - -
Ottawa Sun
A moderate earthquake of a 5.0 magnitude rocked Ottawa and surrounding area on Wednesday afternoon, overwhelming emergency services and sending thousands of panicked people into downtown streets.
"It undermines your faith in all that is solid," said a rattled Douglas Baum who fled the courthouse when the ground began to move.
The rumbling and shaking began at 1:41 p.m. and radiated out from an epicentre near Val-des-Bois, QC, about 56 km northeast of Ottawa. The effects rippled outwardsacross Quebec, Ontario, and the eastern U.S. with reports streaming in from as far away as Boone, Iowa, more than 1,500 km away, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Vibrations were felt anywhere between 20 and 30 seconds.
A state of emergency was declared in Gracefield, Que., about 100 km north of Ottawa, after extensive damage to buildings was reported. Giant cracks snaked through some buildings and part of La Visitation Church collapsed. Residents braced for aftershocks, but no serious injuries were reported.
A bridge on Hwy. 307 collapsed into the Escalier reservoir near Bowman, Que., about 75 km north of Ottawa and close to the epicentre.
In Ottawa, only minor property damage was reported as ceiling tiles fell on frightened workers in office buildings and glass panes on a downtown highrise shattered onto the sidewalk below, narrowly missing passersby.
Lawyer Ian Vallance was changing his clothes in his Lisgar St. law office for a 2 p.m. court appearance when the quake struck. He grabbed a client's jacket and ran from the building, which filled with dust as a chimney collapsed.
"I didn't even think I was running out in my underwear," Vallance said.
Thousands of people crowded onto downtown streets as buildings were evacuated, including City Hall and the courthouse. The Parliamentary Precinct experienced a prolonged closure as engineers were called in to assess whether the older structures were safe to re-enter.
People's first thoughts when the shaking began ranged from fears of a terrorist attack, to heavy trucks driving by, to overzealous construction workers.
"I had no idea what it was," said Kaitlin Russell, who had been on the fourth floor at 60 Queen St. "I thought it was a bus or truck, but then I looked outside the window and I saw the building across the street shaking. We ran down the stairs, but there wasn't any panic. We were all calm, but we knew we should get out."
Hydro lines were down in parts of Quebec and cellphone communications were disrupted in the Ottawa area as thousands of people tried to connect with loved ones.
Immediately after the quake, emergency dispatch services were overwhelmed by panicked callers, but no serious injuries were reported. Some had been injured as they hurried down the flights of stairs in downtown office buildings during the evacuation.
"After the event call volume spiked and didn't return to normal for at least 20 to 30 minutes," said paramedic spokesman J.P. Trottier.
Police reported no major calls, but plenty of traffic snags as traffic lights failed at several intersections and people left work early to head home.
Mayor Larry O'Brien issued a statement requesting residents to refrain from calling 911 except in an emergency.
Transit disruptions extended to the O-Train, which was temporarily halted to assess the integrity of the track. No damage was found and service resumed.
City staff were trying to determine the extent of the damage to public buildings and closed Greenboro library branch, Barbara Ann Scott Arena, and Bernard-Grandmaitre Arena, as structural assessments were conducted and repairs made.
The Chalk River nuclear plant survived unscathed. An AECL spokesman said theplant was built to withstand seismic activity.The reactor was off at the time of the quake as repair teams work to returnthe aging facility to service.
Even as the shock wore off, a U.S. scientist warned that worse could be on the way.U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Paul Earle said there's a 5%chance that another quake of greater or equal magnitude could rock theregion within the week. The number is based on California data. The region should also brace for aftershocks. A Magnitude 3.0 temblor struck about 10 minutes after the initial quake, Earle said.
Among the many buildings evacuated was Centrepointe Theatre, where more than 200 St. Pius X students were hosting their Grade 12 graduation.
"That will make this one memorable," said grad Jamie Wilcox, 17, as he and classmates milled about in the parking lot.
-- with files from Jon Willing and Scott Taylor
Ottawa Sun
A moderate earthquake of a 5.0 magnitude rocked Ottawa and surrounding area on Wednesday afternoon, overwhelming emergency services and sending thousands of panicked people into downtown streets.
"It undermines your faith in all that is solid," said a rattled Douglas Baum who fled the courthouse when the ground began to move.
The rumbling and shaking began at 1:41 p.m. and radiated out from an epicentre near Val-des-Bois, QC, about 56 km northeast of Ottawa. The effects rippled outwardsacross Quebec, Ontario, and the eastern U.S. with reports streaming in from as far away as Boone, Iowa, more than 1,500 km away, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Vibrations were felt anywhere between 20 and 30 seconds.
A state of emergency was declared in Gracefield, Que., about 100 km north of Ottawa, after extensive damage to buildings was reported. Giant cracks snaked through some buildings and part of La Visitation Church collapsed. Residents braced for aftershocks, but no serious injuries were reported.
A bridge on Hwy. 307 collapsed into the Escalier reservoir near Bowman, Que., about 75 km north of Ottawa and close to the epicentre.
In Ottawa, only minor property damage was reported as ceiling tiles fell on frightened workers in office buildings and glass panes on a downtown highrise shattered onto the sidewalk below, narrowly missing passersby.
Lawyer Ian Vallance was changing his clothes in his Lisgar St. law office for a 2 p.m. court appearance when the quake struck. He grabbed a client's jacket and ran from the building, which filled with dust as a chimney collapsed.
"I didn't even think I was running out in my underwear," Vallance said.
Thousands of people crowded onto downtown streets as buildings were evacuated, including City Hall and the courthouse. The Parliamentary Precinct experienced a prolonged closure as engineers were called in to assess whether the older structures were safe to re-enter.
People's first thoughts when the shaking began ranged from fears of a terrorist attack, to heavy trucks driving by, to overzealous construction workers.
"I had no idea what it was," said Kaitlin Russell, who had been on the fourth floor at 60 Queen St. "I thought it was a bus or truck, but then I looked outside the window and I saw the building across the street shaking. We ran down the stairs, but there wasn't any panic. We were all calm, but we knew we should get out."
Hydro lines were down in parts of Quebec and cellphone communications were disrupted in the Ottawa area as thousands of people tried to connect with loved ones.
Immediately after the quake, emergency dispatch services were overwhelmed by panicked callers, but no serious injuries were reported. Some had been injured as they hurried down the flights of stairs in downtown office buildings during the evacuation.
"After the event call volume spiked and didn't return to normal for at least 20 to 30 minutes," said paramedic spokesman J.P. Trottier.
Police reported no major calls, but plenty of traffic snags as traffic lights failed at several intersections and people left work early to head home.
Mayor Larry O'Brien issued a statement requesting residents to refrain from calling 911 except in an emergency.
Transit disruptions extended to the O-Train, which was temporarily halted to assess the integrity of the track. No damage was found and service resumed.
City staff were trying to determine the extent of the damage to public buildings and closed Greenboro library branch, Barbara Ann Scott Arena, and Bernard-Grandmaitre Arena, as structural assessments were conducted and repairs made.
The Chalk River nuclear plant survived unscathed. An AECL spokesman said theplant was built to withstand seismic activity.The reactor was off at the time of the quake as repair teams work to returnthe aging facility to service.
Even as the shock wore off, a U.S. scientist warned that worse could be on the way.U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Paul Earle said there's a 5%chance that another quake of greater or equal magnitude could rock theregion within the week. The number is based on California data. The region should also brace for aftershocks. A Magnitude 3.0 temblor struck about 10 minutes after the initial quake, Earle said.
Among the many buildings evacuated was Centrepointe Theatre, where more than 200 St. Pius X students were hosting their Grade 12 graduation.
"That will make this one memorable," said grad Jamie Wilcox, 17, as he and classmates milled about in the parking lot.
-- with files from Jon Willing and Scott Taylor
