2.9 magnitude earthquake rattles area near Oak Harbor, no damage reported

A magnitude 2.9 earthquake rattled the Oak Harbor area early Monday, striking about 2 kilometers east-southeast of town at a depth of 25.4 kilometers. The U.S. Geological Survey reviewed the event, and its map showed a Community Internet Intensity of III, a level consistent with light shaking that some people feel indoors.

The quake was recorded at 6:43:56 a.m. UTC on June 8, 2026, and the U.S. Geological Survey’s event page logged 32 Did You Feel It? responses. That public reporting tool helps map what residents experienced and where shaking was noticed, and in this case it showed a small but real jolt on Whidbey Island.

No immediate reports of damage or injuries were tied to the quake, and there were no known disruptions in Oak Harbor or elsewhere in Island County. Even so, the morning shake served as a reminder that Whidbey Island sits in one of Washington’s more active seismic areas, where small quakes can be felt and larger ones have struck before.

State emergency officials say Washington sees more than 1,000 earthquakes a year, with a dozen or more strong enough to be felt. The state has also had at least 20 damaging earthquakes in the last 125 years, including the magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake on Feb. 28, 2001, a reminder that a minor tremor can sit within a much larger risk picture.

The broader Puget Sound region includes several mapped crustal fault zones, among them the Southern Whidbey Island fault zone. U.S. Geological Survey publications describe that fault as extending across southern Whidbey Island and nearby waters and as an active structure in the Puget Lowland, underscoring why even modest shaking near Oak Harbor draws attention.

Washington Emergency Management Division guidance says the state has the second-highest earthquake risk in the United States. Officials urge households to be ready to Drop, Cover and Hold On if stronger shaking follows, keep emergency supplies on hand, and sign up for alerts that can include local warnings, USGS ShakeAlert notices, tsunami alerts and volcano updates.