Magnitude 3.4 earthquake strikes B.C. coast, felt in Sechelt and Nanaimo

Monday, February 16, 2015, 6:41 PM - It turns out that romance wasn't the only thing some B.C. residents were feeling on Valentine's Day.

At about 8:12 p.m. PT, a small 3.4 magnitude earthquake struck about 30 kilometres northeast of Sechelt, B.C. 

Earthquakes Canada says it was lightly felt throughout the Sunshine Coast, from Sechelt to Powell River, as well as in Nanaimo.

SEE ALSO: What happens if an earthquake hits Vancouver?

In Gibsons, Bonnie Nicol tweeted that it felt like a punch.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake at a depth of 10 km. 

There are no reports of damage or injuries, but The City of Vancouver took advantage of the situation to tweet out a reminder to always be prepared for emergencies.

Forecasting the next 'big one' 

Forecasting earthquakes is difficult, at best, and nearly impossible in any practical sense. That doesn't stop scientists from studying them, in an effort to see if there is any way to tell when the next one is going to occur. 

If a reliable forecast system could be developed, it could save countless lives. 

The best we have, at the moment, is a look at how often big earthquakes occur at any specific location, which gives us a broad sense of when they might happen again. 

Still, the west coast of North America, including areas of British Columbia, are at risk for some sizable quakes in the future. 

According to Dr. Brent Ward, a professor of Earth Sciences at Simon Fraser University who spoke to The Weather Network in September 2013, the 'Big One' for the the Pacific Northwest, including Vancouver, could measure up to magnitude 9.0 and include a tsunami that could be just as devastating to the area as the events in 2004 and 2011. 

The only question is when.

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH: "New research puts Vancouver at the heart of some unsettling seismic activity."

Did you feel the quake? Let us know in the comments below.

With files from Scott Sutherland