On Thursday morning, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck California near the town of Petrolia, about 265 miles north of San Francisco. The earthquake generated a strong shake and a now-discontinued tsunami warning that stretched from southern Oregon to San Francisco. More than 150,000 people could have been exposed to earthquake shaking in the area. The quake occurred just offshore of the sparsely populated northern coast of California and was felt across Humboldt County. By early afternoon, the region had experienced multiple aftershocks, with the highest registering at 5.1 magnitude. Despite the strong jolt, no earthquake-related injuries or major damages were reported, with damage assessments ongoing.
Dr. Stephen DeLong, a geologist with the U.S.G.S., explained that the earthquake was mainly a horizontal motion caused by two faults sliding past each other. The earthquake struck offshore and was not particularly deep. Videos captured the shaking caused by the quake, including a car shaking violently and plants and lights rattling in a cannabis grow room. The San Andreas fault, which runs along the coastline, was responsible for the earthquake.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. and Saman Shafiq are trending news reporters for USA TODAY, providing updates and information on the earthquake. Contact them at fernando.cervantes@gannett.com and sshafiq@gannett.com respectively. Follow them on social media for more updates.
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