According to the U.S. Geological Survey, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake rocked the Saanich Peninsula, 17 kilometres north by northwest of Victoria, Tuesday night.
The earthquake occured at 11:40 p.m. and was officially rated by USGS as having "moderate" shaking with "very light" damage. It was about 50 kilometres deep (relatively shallow).
According to Natural Resources Canada the earthquake was reported as a 4.3 magnitude event.
In Steveston, home alarms sounded as homes shook lightly for about 10 seconds with one significant jolt.
@TheRichmondNews was in bed watching TV. Started feeling a slight shake. Saw TV shaking.Then one big shake/rattle/bang. Lasted about 3-5 sec
— Mario Raposo (@MarioRaposo70) December 30, 2015
In an earthquake, many parts of Richmond are at risk of liquifaction, meaning water would seep up from the high water table. City engineers state that new buildings, such as apartment towers in downtown Richmond, are designed to withstand a significant earthquake.
The National Tsunami Warning Center in the U.S. issued no warnings.
According to geological surveys, Richmond has not had a significant tsunami in over 4,000 years (in the same time several large earthquakes have occurred). That's because the "big one" would occur at the Cascadia subduction zone and any large waves would dissipate along Vancouver Island, through the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
In the event of a large natural disaster government officials expect citizens be prepared to survive on their own, barring medical emergencies, for 72 hours. You can read about emergency preparedness from the City of Richmond online, here.
