Major earthquake rocks Northern California; tsunami alert canceled for coastal Bay Area

An estimated 7.0-magnitude earthquake was reported off the coast of Humboldt County on Thursday morning, prompting the National Weather Service to issue a tsunami warning for coastal parts of the Bay Area.

The 7.0 quake at 10:44 a.m. was followed by an estimated 5.8-magnitude quake a few minutes later near Cobb in Lake County, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The National Weather Service has canceled a tsunami warning for the Oregon and California coast that extended southward to Santa Cruz County, following a 7.0-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Humboldt County. A map shows the location of the quake and tsunami warning zone. (Image via tsunami.gov)

The tsunami warning issued by the weather service was in effect from the area of Davenport in Santa Cruz County up into Oregon, but it was canceled just before noon.

“No tsunami danger presently exists for this area. This will be the final U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center message for this event,” the NWS posted on its social media account.

BART announced shortly after 11 a.m. that Transbay Tube service has been shut down as a result of the quake and tsunami warning, while the San Francisco Zoo announced that guests have been evacuated and animals and staff are moving to higher ground, among other impacts locally.

The Berkeley Police Department took a proactive approach in issuing an evacuation order due to the tsunami potentially “coming to West Berkeley” per a Nixle alert.

Lights sway in a Sonoma office building moments after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Humboldt County at 10:44 a.m. on Dec. 5, 2024. A tsunami warning is effect along the coastline. (Sarah Stierch via Bay City News)

The post Major earthquake rocks Northern California; tsunami warning issued for coastal Bay Area appeared first on Local News Matters.

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