The federal government’s seismogram viewer shows the quake struck at 6:15 a.m.
Earthquakes Canada said the shock wave originated six kilometres east of Buffalo, N.Y., 97 kilometres east southeast of Hamilton, Ont., and 101 kilometres southeast of Toronto.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, which classified the quake at a magnitude of 3.8, the seismic activity originated in West Seneca, N.Y.
Earthquakes Canada, meanwhile, said the event registered as a 4.2-magnitude earthquake on the Richter Scale north of the border.
Seismologist Yaareb Altaweel told the Associated Press it was Buffalo's strongest quake in at least 40 years.
Surveillance video shared with CTV News Toronto from a home in Buffalo shows the moment the earthquake struck.
A loud thud can be heard before the structure shakes and its residents are awoken.
An earthquake struck near Buffalo, N.Y. on Feb. 6, 2023. (United States Geological Survey)
Stephen Halchuk is a seismologist with Natural Resources Canada and said while earthquakes in the western end of Lake Ontario and the eastern end of Lake Erie are common, Monday’s is “a bit larger” than normal.
“This scattered low-level activity is going on all the time. Most of the earthquakes that occur in this region are too small to be noticed by people,” Halchuk told CTV News Toronto in an interview.
“But today’s event was just a little bit larger and was felt as strong, but short duration, shaking by people in southern Ontario and northern New York state,” Halchuk said, adding that the earth’s tectonic plates are constantly moving at a speed of about five to 10 centimetres per year -- about the same speed as a fingernail grows.
Halchuk explained that because southwestern Ontario is located in the middle of the North American tectonic plate, and not on a plate boundary like California, for example, earthquakes in the area are rarely powerful enough to create any significant damage.
“There are small faults below the earth’s surface that never really get large enough to break the earth’s surface. As stresses in the earth’s crust build up over time, the energy gets released in these small earthquakes in the region,” he said.
On Monday afternoon, Niagara mayor Jim Diodati described the moment the earthquake struck as “surreal.”
“It woke me up at 6:15 a.m. – I thought there was a snowplow going out in the street, very loud,” Diodati recalled.
“Right away, I thought about the power plants, I thought about a lot of things,” he continued. “So we checked in on the Skylon Tower, the big hotels, the [Ontario Power Generation], the Niagara Parks Commission, and everything's okay."
“We’d like to offer our sincere condolences to the people of Syria and Turkiye for what they're going through right now. We know it's devastating,” he said. “Canada is a country of immigrants from all over the world, and I know there's a lot of Turkish and Syrians here, and I know that a lot of them are worried about family back home.”
Monday’s earthquake in Buffalo was “quite small” compared to the disaster in Syria and Turkiye, Halchuk said.
Ground movement, or shaking, at the epicentre of that earthquake would likely be 10 times the intensity of Buffalo’s and the amount of energy released would be 1,000,000 times stronger, according to Halchuk.
Earthquakes Canada data shows the strongest seismic event ever to take place in the region was on Aug. 12, 1929, when a 5.5-magnitude earthquake was recorded.
U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, as part of his first official visit since taking office. Alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will be meeting with top officials and addressing Parliament in an effort to reaffirm the strength of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
As Joe Biden makes his first trip to Canada as president of the United States, CTVNews.ca is offering live coverage of the leader's visit. Follow our live blog on CTVNews.ca and the CTV News app for the latest updates.
W5 investigates aging asbestos pipes across Canada and the potential health hazards if it ends up in your tap water. Watch W5's 'Something in the Water' Saturday at 7 p.m. on CTV.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
Pride nights, held annually for several years by National Hockey League teams to show support for the LGBTQ2S+ community, are in the spotlight following several high-profile incidents this season.
The idea of using firing squads is making a comeback in the U.S. Idaho lawmakers passed a bill this week seeking to add the state to the list of those authorizing firing squads, currently Mississippi, Utah, Oklahoma and South Carolina.
Hershey Co. is looking to reduce 'trace' amounts of lead and cadmium in its chocolate, chief financial officer Steve Voskiul told Reuters on Wednesday, after Consumer Reports found that some dark chocolate bars had potentially harmful levels of the heavy metals.
Canada and the United States are negotiating a deal that could see asylum seekers turned back at irregular border crossings across the border, including Roxham Road in Quebec.
For the first time, the owner of a building in Old Montreal has responded to questions about the fire — through his lawyer — addressing allegations that the building was unsafe.
Spring has come and with the annual appearance of flowers, leafy folliage and orange cones in construction zones. Those planning on driving in and around Montreal on the weekend should not that work on highways 13 and 15 and in the Saint-Pierre Interchange will result in road closures. These and the other following areas are best to be avoided.
A St. Catherines man has been charged after a reported robbery in London. Around 6:45 p.m. on Thursday, police were called to the parking lot at Cherryhill Village Mallon Oxford Street after witnesses reported that a man with a knife was demanding items from another man.
A woman is in hospital with critical injuries after an overnight house fire in north London. Crews were called to the scene on Adelaide Street near Dufferin Avenue around 1:20 a.m.
The ‘Catch the Ace’ jackpot is still up for grabs in Hagersville. There was no winner Thursday night so the total prize money is now an estimated $1,526,067.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
The resurrection of Zellers is officially underway with the Cambridge location opening its doors to eager shoppers who lined up ahead of the store's official reopening.
Ontario’s self-described crypto king was allegedly abducted, tortured, and beaten for days as his kidnappers looked to solicit millions in ransom, his father told a court in December.
Ottawa residents are being told to expect road closures, transit delays and heightened security in the downtown core today, as U.S. President Joe Biden continues his visit to the capital. Here's what you need to know about Biden's second day in Ottawa.
U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, as part of his first official visit since taking office. Alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will be meeting with top officials and addressing Parliament in an effort to reaffirm the strength of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
The quick thinking and immediate actions of two people are credited with possibly saving the life of a Midland councillor after he collapsed at a meeting Wednesday evening.
The Tim Houston PC government remains firm in their promise they'll fix the health-care system by spending more taxpayer money on health than any previous government before.
With Calgary Board of Education students set to kick off spring break once the final bell rings Friday afternoon, some Calgarians are eager to leave the country in pursuit of warmer weather with their families.
U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, as part of his first official visit since taking office. Alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will be meeting with top officials and addressing Parliament in an effort to reaffirm the strength of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
Manitoba’s labour force is growing at a rate to supply enough workers for available positions into 2026, according to the province’s labour market outlook.
Manitoba First Nation police have arrested a man connected with a shooting on March 19 on Long Plain First Nation that resulted in the community going on lockdown.
U.S. President Joe Biden has made it to Canada, as part of his first official visit since taking office. Alongside Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Biden will be meeting with top officials and addressing Parliament in an effort to reaffirm the strength of the Canada-U.S. relationship.
A series of ancient landslides have been “reawakened” in British Columbia's Cariboo region, costing hundreds of millions in federal disaster assistance funds and prompting warnings that logging is connected to the problem.
The Alberta Energy Regulator has cited an energy company for causing a series of earthquakes, including the largest recorded tremblor in the province's history.
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
More than $30 million will be spent over the next three years supporting apprenticeship and learning opportunities in skilled trades, the Alberta government is set to announce on Friday.
An earthquake struck near Buffalo, N.Y. on Feb. 6, 2023. (United States Geological Survey)
