A powerful 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California on Thursday morning, prompting brief tsunami warnings across parts of California and Oregon before being lifted hours later.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported the quake’s epicentre near Petrolia in Humboldt County, describing it as a “strong” seismic event. The earthquake, recorded at 10:44 a.m. local time, triggered a tsunami warning from Davenport, California, to the Douglas/Lane Line in Oregon.
However, the National Tsunami Warning Center cancelled the alert shortly before noon. “No tsunami danger presently exists for this area,” the centre confirmed via a post on X.
In Berkeley, California, authorities had issued evacuation orders for parts of West Berkeley as a precaution. Following the cancellation of the tsunami warning, city officials confirmed it was safe for residents to return. “Evacuation orders for West Berkeley have been lifted,” they announced.
USGS geologist Stephen DeLong noted during a briefing that the quake has been followed by a “robust” aftershock sequence, including a 4.3 magnitude tremor near Petrolia.
The agency’s early warning system delivered Shake Alerts to over half a million people across the region, reaching as far north as Lincoln City, Oregon, and as far south as Salinas, California.
California Governor, Gavin Newsom said state emergency officials were actively monitoring the situation and urged residents to heed guidance from local responders.
While there have been no reports of significant damage or landslides, experts warned of potential aftershocks in the coming days. The USGS estimates a 5% chance of a magnitude 6 or larger quake and a 34% chance of a magnitude 5 quake within the next week.
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