At approximately 8:45 p.m. on March 2, something shook homes from Sicamous to Tappen and alarmed residents, though no confirmation has yet to come in as to what exactly happened.
Initial conversations on the scanner said an explosion was reported at 16 Avenue NE in Salmon Arm; fire and ambulance crews responded but found nothing at the scene. Social media indicated multiple calls were made to RCMP, who reported nothing conclusive, and CP Rail dispatchers were reported contacting train crews to see if anything could be reported.
Dispatchers updated over the scanner at approximately 8:15 p.m. updating that ground shaking was felt in many areas.
At approximately 10 p.m., Shuswap Emergency Program stated there have been widespread reports of the explosion but nothing has yet been found.
“Officials are still investigating the situation, but at this time, 9:50 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, there has been nothing found. Currently, our emergency management has not been activated. We will report back as soon as we know more information,” states the SEP Facebook page.
SEP also says Sicamous Fire Department is reporting no indiciation of any unusual activity or emergency within their boundaries.
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While social media conversations suggested a small earthquake may have occurred, the Seismogram in Lillooet reported no activity at the time of the shake.
The suggested cause of the event that shook homes in the area are various on social media, from a sonic boom resulting from a low-flying jet plane to a possible meteor. A post in the Vernon Rant and Rave Facebook page reports seeing a large shooting star or possible meteor at the approximate time the shaking was felt.
As of yet, none of this has been confirmed by authorities however, and no injuries or property damage has been reported.
