A 7.0 magnitude earthquake was recorded this Thursday southwest of Ferndale, California, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Initially, the quake was estimated at a magnitude of 6.6, but this was later revised. The epicenter was located 10 kilometers deep, approximately 96.5 kilometers southwest of Ferndale, a town in Humboldt County near the Oregon border.

The quake, which occurred at 10:44 a.m., was felt across large areas of California, including San Francisco and other coastal regions. Minor aftershocks were reported in the hours following the main event.

Breaking!

Earthquake located 37 miles off the cost of California!

Tsunami Warning issued!!

Oregon-California coast after 7.3 earthquake. If you're between Florence,
OR & Santa Cruz, CA:

Evacuate anywhere near the coast of this area immediately ! pic.twitter.com/kNiLTak2RX

— Jakey (@JacobBaker613) December 5, 2024

Tsunami Warning Issued

The National Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami warning for the northern California and southern Oregon coasts. Cities at risk include San Francisco, Crescent City, and Fort Bragg in California, as well as Port Orford, Brookings, and Charleston in Oregon.

The warning emphasized that "a tsunami capable of causing significant flooding is possible or already occurring." It also noted that tsunamis often consist of multiple dangerous waves, which can last for several hours, with the first wave not necessarily being the largest.

🌊⚠️ Advertencia de Tsunami para California

Estados Unidos emitió una alerta tras un fuerte sismo de magnitud 7.3. Las autoridades piden mantenerse alejados de las zonas costeras y seguir las indicaciones de protección civil.#noticiasMILED #TsunamiWarning #California #Sismo pic.twitter.com/puin5Wwmmj

— SÚPER STEREO MILED (@noticiasmiled) December 5, 2024

Authorities have urged coastal residents to evacuate to higher ground and stay away from water bodies until further notice. An estimated 5.3 million people in California are under tsunami warning, while over 1.3 million are believed to have directly felt the quake’s impact.

You might also be interested in its Spanish version: Sacude sismo de magnitud 7.0 a California; emiten alerta de tsunami

Preventive Measures

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) temporarily suspended service through the underwater tunnel between San Francisco and Oakland as a precautionary measure.

Residents in coastal areas received alert notifications on their mobile phones with messages such as: "You are in danger. Stay away from coastal waters. Move to higher ground or inland now."

‼️SISMO frente a las costas de #California el día de hoy @USGS_Quakes da pronóstico de posibilidad de réplicas luego del #sismo principal M7 al norte de #California - #EEUU. 🇺🇸#Terremoto #HumboltCounty #USA #México #Rosarito pic.twitter.com/NW0yTWcRtx

— PERIÓDICO SupreMo 🔴 (@Diario_Supremo) December 5, 2024

While no casualties or major damage have been reported so far, authorities have urged the public to stay updated with official information and follow safety instructions.