York’s Campus Services & Business Operations distributed this notice late yesterday:
At approximately 1:54pm Tuesday afternoon, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred southwest of Washington, DC. Tremors were felt as far away as Sudbury, Ont. Tremors were felt here at York University as well. No injuries or damage as a result have been reported.
Aftershocks are common after an earthquake occurs and can continue for several weeks afterwards.
Please keep the following information in mind in the event of any aftershocks:
- Do not evacuate any building while it is shaking. Wait for the shaking to stop before evacuating, if necessary. Take refuge under tables or desks to offer protection from any items that may fall. Stay there until the shaking stops.
- In most cases, it may not be necessary to evacuate the building as a result of minor tremors or shaking. It is generally not necessary to evacuate unless there is some visible structural damage such as cracks in walls, floors, etc., or other dangers present.
- Do not pull the fire alarm specifically to evacuate a building after an earthquake. This puts an unnecessary strain on emergency services. Only pull the fire alarm is there is smoke, fire, gas leak, or other emergency situation – then call 911 immediately.
- If evacuation of the building is necessary, leave using the nearest, safest exit and using the stairs only. DO NOT use elevators. Walk calmly out of the building. Do not run. Watch for falling debris as you exit.
- Go directly to your building’s designated emergency assembly point and await further instructions.
Please refer to your Emergency Response Guidebook for more detailed information.
If you require any further information, contact Katherine Branton, manager of emergency preparedness, at ext 55258 or brantonk@yorku.ca.