Tsunami warning: earthquake shakes California – 20 minutes

A severe earthquake struck off the coast of the US state of California on Thursday, triggering a tsunami warning. The quake struck around 11 a.m. local time in the Pacific Ocean, 100 kilometers west of Ferndale. The place is not far from the coast and around 400 kilometers north of San Francisco. A short time later, however, the authorities withdrew the tsunami warning.

As the US authorities announced, the quake reached a magnitude of 7.0 and occurred at a depth of ten kilometers in the Pacific, around a hundred kilometers from the coastal town of Ferndale. The tsunami warning affected a large part of the Pacific coast north of San Francisco – but was later revoked.

The US National Weather Service wrote: “If you are in the affected coastal area, move inland to higher ground.” The coasts of California and Oregon are affected. The epicenter of the quake is near the coastal town of Eureka. A magnitude 5.8 aftershock was recorded a few minutes later near Cobb, California, in Lake County.

As several US media reports, the quake was felt as far away as San Francisco, where residents felt a tremor for a few seconds. Small aftershocks followed.

As the San Francisco Zoo writes on X, visitors are currently being evacuated. “The zoo is closed due to the national severe weather emergency and the tsunami warning. The guests were evacuated, the animals secured and the staff taken to higher ground.”

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