An earthquake hit Northern California early Thursday morning, shaking the ground in several major Northern California cities.
A earthquake was reported by the U.S. Geological Survey at 1:41 a.m. local time with the epicenter at Boulder Creek, California, in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Shaking was reportedly felt, and residents received earthquake alerts in various locations in and around the area, including Monterey, Oakland, Redwood City, San Francisco, San Jose, and Santa Cruz. It was initially reported as a 5.1 magnitude earthquake, before being lowered to a 4.9 magnitude earthquake. Later, it was dropped again to a 4.6 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake had a reported depth of 6.7 miles.
The incident startled residents in those areas, with several reporting that their houses shook during the quake.
“The whole house shook briefly, and it was a decent earthquake,” Kelly Schenkoske told the Washington Examiner. “Still, thankfully not anywhere near the intensity of the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989. This felt somewhat stronger, but still rather mild. Thankful all is well.”
Other residents posted about the earthquake on social media, but no significant damage has been reported so far. Multiple first responders from the area where the earthquake struck posted updates on social media, claiming no damage has been reported.
“CAL FIRE CZU enacted its earthquake procedure and inspected all buildings,” posted the San Mateo County Fire Department. “No damage has been detected.”
The South San Francisco Fire Department also posted about the earthquake, also stating there were no reports of any damage in the area.
Earthquakes frequently occur in northern California which has many cities located along the San Andreas Fault. The USGS said residents living in the area near the earthquake’s epicenter in Boulder Creek, California, could experience aftershocks in the following days.
“There will likely be smaller aftershocks within the next week, with up to 9 magnitude 3 or higher aftershocks. Magnitude 3 and higher aftershocks are large enough to be felt nearby,” reported the USGS. “The number of aftershocks will decrease over time, but a large aftershock can temporarily increase the number of aftershocks.”
