7.0 earthquake strikes off Northern California coast, tsunami alerts canceled
A strong 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California on Thursday morning. Tsunami warnings that had been issued have since been canceled for areas of both California and Oregon.
The initial magnitude was measured at 6.6, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The earthquake has since been upgraded to magnitude 7.0. A second earthquake struck near Ferndale, measured at magnitude 5.8.
The first earthquake struck about 10:45 a.m. in the city of Petrolia, roughly 50 miles from Eureka.
According to FOX 13 Seattle Chief Meteorologist Brian MacMillan, this earthquake was not a Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, but it was a strong one.
It was felt as far south as San Francisco, where residents felt a rolling motion for several seconds. It was followed by smaller aftershocks.
The National Weather Service urged residents along the Northern California coastline, including in the San Francisco Bay Area, to move inland due to the threat of a possible tsunami. A wave could reach the San Francisco coastline as early as 12:10 p.m., according to Rachel Kennedy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s office that covers the Bay Area.
Kennedy said forecasters are waiting to get a report on how high potential waves could be. She called it "a pretty dangerous situation."
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, known as BART, has stopped traffic in all directions through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland.
The San Francisco Zoo’s visitors have been evacuated as a result of the earthquake, the zoo said in a post on the social media platform X. The animals have been secured and staff has been moved to higher ground.
Throughout Northern California phones buzzed with a tsunami warning from the National Weather Service that said: "A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you. You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters. Move to high ground or inland now. Keep away from the coast until local officials say it is safe to return."
At least 5.3 million people in California were under a tsunami warning after the magnitude 7.0 earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey said in a yellow alert, which predicts localized but minimal damage.
More than 1.3 million people lived close enough to the quake that they could have felt it, the USGS estimated.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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