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7.0 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northern California

Published

1 month ago

Dec 6, 2024.

Dennis

A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 struck off the northern California coast, as reported by the US Geological Survey. Initially, a tsunami warning was issued for both northern California and southern Oregon, affecting roughly 4.7 million people. However, the warning was later lifted.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the earthquake’s epicentre was near Ferndale, California, a small town in Humboldt County, located about 260 miles (418 km) north of San Francisco. Despite the severity of the quake, local authorities reported no fatalities or significant widespread damage.

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The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office told CBS News that although no catastrophic destruction was observed, some homes experienced minor damage. Several stores reported items falling from shelves, and many residents briefly lost power. According to poweroutage.us, more than 10,000 people in Humboldt County were left without electricity following the quake.

While the earthquake itself didn’t cause major destruction, a Ferndale resident who spoke to the BBC described the inside of the building she was in as resembling a bombed-out structure. Olivia Cobian, the innkeeper at the Gingerbread Mansion Inn in Ferndale, said the interior of the inn was in disarray, with heavy cast iron fireplaces dislodged and everything shattered or overturned.

Todd Dunaway, a resident of Fortuna, California, was eating lunch when the quake struck. “It literally felt like standing on a giant waterbed,” he recounted. “The rattling windows, creaking walls, and falling dishes added to the frightening atmosphere.” Dunaway and his wife nervously waited for 15 minutes afterward, unsure whether a stronger aftershock was coming. His swimming pool continued to slosh violently, losing about 18 inches (45 cm) of water, and his sporting goods store experienced some minor damage.

Multiple aftershocks followed the initial tremor, which occurred around 10:44 AM local time (18:44 GMT). Some areas, including Berkeley, California, issued evacuation orders due to the potential tsunami threat. The city of Berkeley warned residents in tsunami zones to “EVACUATE NOW” and take shelter east of 7th Street.

Kayla Aihara, staying at a hotel in Half Moon Bay, received back-to-back alerts about the earthquake and tsunami warning. Prior to the warning being cancelled, hotel staff advised her to leave the gym and move to higher ground. A number of hotel guests evacuated outside, gathering by the shoreline to observe the waves and wait for any sign of a tsunami.

California Governor Gavin Newsom was briefed on the situation and met with state emergency officials to coordinate a response. At a later event near the US-Mexico border, Newsom announced he had signed a state of emergency declaration to facilitate resources for the earthquake response, calling the event “another reminder of the state that we live in and the state of mind that we need to bring to our day-to-day reality here in California.”

Tsunami hazard signs are posted along coastal roads, marking evacuation routes that lead to higher ground in case of emergencies. Residents in these zones are urged to familiarize themselves with the routes and keep an emergency kit ready for swift evacuation. The California emergency services website advises that a tsunami could strike within 5 to 10 minutes of a significant earthquake, and the first wave may not necessarily be the largest. It recommends immediate evacuation to higher ground if the sea rapidly recedes.