SAN FRANCISCO, California — A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the northern California coast on Thursday, causing coastal towns to evacuate low-lying areas. Luckily, there were no reports of deaths or injuries.
The earthquake hit at 10:44 a.m. Pacific Time and was centered about 39 miles (63 km) west of the small town of Ferndale, which has about 1,400 residents. The quake was shallow, occurring just 6.2 miles (10 km) below the surface.
Tsunami Warning Issued, Then Canceled
A tsunami warning was issued for a stretch of 500 miles (800 km) of the California and Oregon coasts. This warning led to evacuations in some areas, but after 90 minutes, the National Weather Service canceled the tsunami warning.
Despite the scare, no tsunami danger was confirmed. Residents in places like Ferndale were left cleaning up broken items in their homes and stores. “It was a big quake, it made you evacuate the building as fast as you could,” said Troy Land, a local firefighter and store owner.
The Quake’s Impact
Although the earthquake caused some damage, like fallen merchandise in stores, it didn’t cause major harm. In nearby San Francisco, people were startled by tsunami alerts on their phones, though the quake wasn’t strongly felt there. One resident, Nicole Steinberg, recalled receiving the alert while grabbing coffee, which made her and others in the café nervous, but she waited for updates before deciding to head to a safer area.
Power Outages and Continued Alerts
Around 19,000 people in Humboldt County experienced power outages after the earthquake. Local authorities in affected areas, including the city of Berkeley, issued evacuation orders, but later reassured people that there was no tsunami threat.
California Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed that state emergency officials were working to keep residents safe, assuring everyone that they were monitoring the situation closely.
Although the earthquake caused some concern and disruption, the situation has since calmed down, and authorities continue to assess the effects of the quake.
