Several strong earthquakes hit Northern California and triggered a tsunami warning on Thursday. The warning has since been canceled.
The United States Geological Survey said the first was a 6.0 magnitude quake that hit Humboldt County around 10:44 a.m. PT, KNTV reported.
Two others — 7.0 magnitude off the California coast and 5.8 magnitude in Lake County — were reported at the same time.
The series of quakes spurred a tsunami warning that stretched from the California/Oregon border to Santa Cruz. The Associated Press reported that at least 5.3 million people were in the warning area. It was canceled just before noon PT.
Tsunami Warning 1 for areas of OR & N. CA: See https://t.co/npoUHxX900 for alert areas. M7.3 045mi SW Eureka, California 1044PST Dec 5 pic.twitter.com/NFCbU5EaKa
— NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) December 5, 2024
The tsunami Warning is canceled for the coastal areas of California and Oregon. No tsunami danger presently exists for this area. This will be the final U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center message for this event. Refer to https://t.co/npoUHxX900 for more information.
— NWS Tsunami Alerts (@NWS_NTWC) December 5, 2024
San Francisco felt the preliminary quake followed by several aftershocks, the AP reported. The city’s mass transit system stopped traffic in the tunnel that connects San Francisco to Oakland.
There was no major damage or injuries initially reported, according to SF Gate.
The San Francisco Zoo is closed with guests evacuated and animals secured.
The Zoo has closed due to national weather emergency and tsunami warning. Guests have been evacuated, animals secured and staff have moved to higher ground.
— San Francisco Zoo & Gardens (@sfzoo) December 5, 2024
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said his Office of Emergency Services is already coordinating with local officials. State and local officials will be assessing the impact of the quakes.
The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has also been briefed about the tsunami warning.
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