Tonasket, Washington – A light earthquake north of Tonasket briefly shook communities near the Canadian border early Wednesday morning, prompting safety checks along rural roads and in small towns across northern Okanogan County. The tremor was strong enough to rattle windows but not powerful enough to cause structural damage.
According to the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, the magnitude-2.7 quake struck at 12:56 a.m. Pacific Time about 9 kilometers northwest of Tonasket at a depth of roughly 11 kilometers. According to early reports submitted to the USGS Did You Feel It? system, residents in Ellisforde, Oroville, and portions of the Okanogan Highlands described a quick jolt lasting only a few seconds.
According to Okanogan County Emergency Management, no injuries were reported. Crews advised drivers along U.S. 97 and State Route 7 to watch for minor rockfall, especially in steep cut-slope areas where loose debris may shift after small seismic events. Local utilities also performed routine inspections, though no outages were recorded.
Officials urge residents to review basic earthquake safety, ensure heavy furniture is secured, and keep emergency kits updated ahead of winter. Small quakes like this are common in north-central Washington, but emergency planners note that even weak shaking can disrupt rural travel or trigger falling debris in older structures.
