Tsunami warnings lifted in California and Oregon after 7.0-magnitude earthquake

An earthquake struck off the coast of California on Thursday morning, briefly triggering a tsunami warning for the Northern California and Southern Oregon coasts.

The earthquake, a magnitude 7.0 temblor, struck at 10:44 a.m. about 62 miles west of Ferndale, California, according to the United States Geological Survey.

Best cruise line for seniors
americancruiselines.com
Best Cruise Line For Seniors
Advertisement
A tsunami warning has been issued for the coast from Davenport, California, to the border of Douglas and Lane counties in Oregon. The Tsunami Warning Center cancelled the warning at about 11:55 a.m.

Humboldt County, the community on land closest to the epicentre, 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, shattered windows and houses being lifted off their foundations.
About 10,000 people were without power in Humboldt County, according to state Senator Mike McGuire.

The 7.0 magnitude quake is one of at least 17 events that shook 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 between magnitude 3.1 and 4.2 were recorded.
California Governor Gavin Newsom told reporters on Thursday that he had signed a state of emergency to help respond to the quakes.

“It’s another reminder of the state that we live in and the state of mind that we need to bring to our daily reality here in the state of California in terms of being prepared for earthquakes,” Newsom said.

Christine Goulet, director of the USGS Earthquake Science Center in Los Angeles, said the magnitude 7.0 quake started less than a mile below the Earth’s surface, making it unusually shallow. More than a dozen aftershocks were reported after the event.

Goulet said the USGS analysis suggests there is about a 5% chance that a magnitude 6.0 earthquake could rupture in the area within the next week.

“After a 7, there could be some pretty large aftershocks,” Goulet said. “Over time, they’ll be less frequent and smaller.”

Earthquakes can trigger tsunamis when they shift the seafloor, creating waves that can crash ashore. A tsunami warning indicates that significant inundation and coastal flooding is expected, based on preliminary information about the quake’s location.

Harold Tobin, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, said the quake was a strike-slip earthquake, which means two plates slid past each other, causing shaking.

The quake ruptured in the Mendocino Fault Zone, at the intersection of three tectonic plates: the Pacific, North American and Juan de Fuca plates.

“This is exactly where the Cascadia subduction zone ends to the south and the San Andreas fault begins,” Tobin said. “It is the most seismically active place in all of California over the last few decades. It’s no surprise to get an earthquake of this magnitude.

Tobin said this was the largest earthquake to hit the area since the 1990s. He added that it did not occur on the Cascadia Subduction Zone and was unlikely to increase the risk of an earthquake there.