7.0 magnitude earthquake shakes Northern California. Does SLO County have tsunami warning?
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake was reported off the coast of Northern California on Thursday morning, sending trembles throughout the state and prompting a tsunami warning for parts of the coast.
Though some San Luis Obispo County residents reported feeling shakes from the earthquake, a tsunami warning was not in effect for the area.
In a National Weather Service post on X at 11:29 a.m., San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties were “still being evaluated for potential tsunami impacts.”
By 12:02 p.m., all tsunami warnings had been canceled for the state.
“No tsunami danger presently exists for this area,” the Weather Service said in a post on X.
Evacuations ordered in Northern California
The quake, which was reported of the coast of Cape Mendocino around 10:47 a.m., was initially recorded with a magnitude of 6.6, but that was upped soon after, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Residents of Crescent City were ordered to evacuate, Senate Pro Tem leader Mike McGuire said in an update just before 11:15 a.m.
“All residents should head to higher ground immediately and follow local OES and Sheriff Office instructions,” McGuire wrote. Crescent City, in Del Norte County near the northwestern corner of California, has a population of about 6,700 people.
Humboldt County emergency officials said people in coastal areas should evacuate.
The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office said an evacuation warning was in place for the Mendocino Coast area. Those in low areas and along the harbor should be ready to evacuate on short notice.
The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning for the entire Northern California coast, through the San Francisco Bay Area, and into Oregon.
The tsunami alert forecast that waves could reach the coast in San Francisco around 12:10 p.m.
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services advised that the tsunami warning was in place from Douglas, Oregon, down through Davenport, California, which is about 10 miles northwest of Santa Cruz.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the earthquake and is meeting with state emergency officials, according to a social media post. The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services will help with the response, according to the post to X.
The Geological Survey mapped the earthquake’s epicenter as about 39 miles west of Petrolia. It is southwest of Eureka.
The Geological Survey also reported temblors near the Lake County community of Cobb, including a 5.8 magnitude earthquake centered in nearby Sonoma County, less than five minutes after the larger quake.
Shocks spread through to downtown Sacramento and could be felt at high-rise buildings along Capitol Mall.
Margie Monson, the property manager for BMO Tower, noted that everyone was OK as the building swaying and creaked.
“It was one of the biggest ones that I felt in Sacramento,” Monson said.
This story was originally published December 5, 2024 at 12:15 PM.
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