2.8-magnitude earthquake shakes up San Francisco Bay Area, seismologists say

A 2.8-magnitude earthquake felt by hundreds of people struck near Half Moon Bay south of San Francisco in California, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.

The 6.5-mile deep quake hit at 9:22 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 15, about 1.5 miles south of Half Moon Bay, according to the USGS.

Hundreds of people from as far away as San Ramon and Pinole reported feeling the tremor to the agency.

“Did I just feel an #earthquake in San Mateo?” read one Twitter post.

“Do not tweet about earthquakes under 5.0 when you’re from the Bay … it’s sooo beneath you !!!” admonished singer MC Hammer on Twitter.

Half Moon Bay is a city of 11,000 about 30 miles south of San Francisco.

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale.

Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Quakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people.

This story was originally published November 16, 2022 at 6:23 AM with the headline "2.8-magnitude earthquake shakes up San Francisco Bay Area, seismologists say."