'Like a massive wind': B.C. earthquake stories

As a powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Haida Gwaii on Saturday evening, residents along the B.C. coast shared their accounts of the moment the quake struck.

Most reported a shaking, swaying or rumbling that lasted anywhere from 30 seconds to a minute.

• "It wasn't a big shake — it just was a continuing rolling feeling that went on for ... perhaps a minute." — Robin Rowland, Kitimat, B.C.
• "It almost felt like a massive wind was making the whole home shake." — Leisha Grebinski, Prince Rupert, B.C.
• "It started off with just a small rumble ... and then things started to shake a little, and then things started shaking a lot." — Peter Mark, Masset, B.C.
• "[I] was sitting on my couch, with the laptop, when I started to feel motion that made me feel queasy. Noticed that our heavy swag lamp was swaying back and forth. Stood up and could feel the motion through the carpeting. We live in a basement suite and I think that the motion lasted about 15 to 20 seconds, perhaps." — Leslie Allen, Prince George, B.C.
• "Felt a 'swoon' — at the same time everything hanging started to sway so strongly that it took 30 minutes plus for them to settle back into equilibrium." — Sharon MacKenzie, Quadra Island, B.C. 
• "The whole house was flexing and oscillating. The lights went out and the shaking continued and I could hear all kinds of crashing." — Nick Finley, Tlell, Haida Gwaii, B.C.
• "The house seemed to be moving  — plants, light fixtures, sun catchers in the window swayed and clattered ... About 10 minutes before they stopped swaying."  — Marion Lawson, Kamloops, B.C.
• "The whole house swayed for over a minute. My wife said it felt like she had sea legs. Phones were out for a short time but we never lost power." — Ken Newman.

Residents as far away as Alberta and Yukon reported feeling the earthquake.