Tsunami warnings in California and Oregon lifted after 7.0-magnitude earthquake
An earthquake ruptured off California on Thursday morning, briefly triggering a tsunami warning for the coast of Northern California and southern Oregon.
The earthquake, a magnitude-7.0 temblor, rumbled at around 10:44 a.m. about 62 miles west of Ferndale, California, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A tsunami warning was issued for the coast from Davenport, California, to the border between Douglas and Lane counties in Oregon. The Tsunami Warning Center canceled the warning at about 11:55 a.m.
Humboldt County, the community on land closest to the epicenter, reported no injuries or deaths, Humboldt County District 2 Supervisor Michelle Bushnell told NBC News. But she said she had heard of broken water mains, broken windows and houses that had been dislodged from their foundations.
About 10,000 people were without power in Humboldt County, state Sen. Mike McGuire said.
The 7.0-magnitude quake is one of at least 17 events that rattled Northern California on Thursday, with most of the seismic activity concentrated around Humboldt County.
At least four events were recorded in the Ferndale area, with high activity also observed around the town of Petrolia, where at least 10 quakes ranging from 3.1 to 4.2 magnitude broke out.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom told reporters Thursday he had signed an emergency declaration to help with the response.
“It’s 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 the state of California, in terms of being prepared for earthquakes,” Newsom said.
Christine Goulet, the director of the USGS Earthquake Science Center, based in Los Angeles, said the 7.0 earthquake initiated less than a mile beneath the Earth’s surface, making it uncommonly shallow. More than a dozen aftershocks were reported.
Goulet said the USGS analysis suggests there is about a 5% chance that an earthquake greater than magnitude 6.0 could rupture in the area within the next week.
“Following a 7, there could be fairly large aftershocks,” Goulet said. “As time goes by, they’re going to be less frequent and smaller.”
Earthquakes can trigger tsunamis when they displace the seafloor, causing waves that can rush toward shore. A tsunami warning indicates that significant inundation and coastal flooding are expected, based on preliminary information about a quake’s position.
Harold Tobin, the director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, said the temblor was a strike-slip earthquake, which means that two plates slid past each other, causing shaking.
