On Thursday, a strong earthquake in the Pacific Ocean failed to produce a tsunami, sparing coastal cities in Oregon and California from certain catastrophe.
On a global scale, the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that occurred off the coast of Northern California was rather uncommon; scientists estimate that just 15 earthquakes of that magnitude are recorded annually worldwide.
Even more unusual by Californian standards is the earthquake. It ranks among the strongest temblors in the state as follows:
Millions of people were under a tsunami warning after a powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 struck the Northern California coast on Thursday.
Since then, the tsunami warnings have been cancelled, and US Geological Survey authorities reported no landslides.
What we know is as follows:
The USGS reports that the epicentre of the earthquake was located in the Pacific Ocean, approximately 50 miles southwest of Eureka, California. About 300 miles northwest of Sacramento, Eureka is the biggest seaside city between San Francisco and Portland, Oregon.
Tsunami Warnings
The National Tsunami Warning Centre issued a tsunami warning for around 5 million people from Davenport, California, to Douglas/Lane Line, Oregon. These included Crescent City, California; Eureka; Fort Bragg; and the San Francisco Bay Area.
What Happened
According to Stephen DeLong, a supervisory research geologist at the USGS, tectonic plates moved in opposite directions well off the state’s coast. According to him, the majority of the movement was probably horizontal rather than vertical, whereas tsunamis are often caused by vertical movement. Residents told CNN they felt the swaying as far south as the Bay Area, according to USGS data, which indicated that the earthquake caused “severe shaking.”
The Aftermath
According to PowerOutage.us, more than 3,000 customers in California’s Humboldt County—the county nearest to the earthquake’s epicenter—remain without power. This is less than the roughly 10,000 residences and businesses that experienced a power outage in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. In order to offer resources, California Governor Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency.
What Authorities Are Saying
Miles Slattery, the city manager of Eureka, California, stated that no major damage has been observed there thus far and characterised the earthquake as “long” but not as “violent” as past ones. Another Eureka resident claimed that the earthquake tremors made him feel seasick. According to Capt. Justin Schorr of the San Francisco fire department, there have likewise been no reports of damage or casualties there.
What Might Happen Next
Seismologist Jeffrey Park told CNN that although aftershocks are occurring close to the earthquake’s epicentre, more earthquakes with a magnitude of seven are unlikely to occur. However, he warned that there might be a few minor earthquakes along the faults.
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