A SERIES of earthquakes rocked California on Wednesday, including a strong and shallow quake that prompted tsunami warnings and mandatory evacuations for hundreds of miles along the coast.
Residents were urged to leave their homes and move inland after the initial preliminary 7.3-magnitude earthquake hit about 60 miles offshore.
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Cars filled a coastal highway as people were urged to evacuate their homes after a series of earthquakes struck Northern California, prompting a tsunami warningCredit: CBS News
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Footage shows chaotic scenes at the store after the quakeCredit: CBS News Bay Area
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Some schools were evacuated and students were seen standing on sports fields to protect them from injury inside campus buildings Credit: CBS News
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Broken liquor bottles covered the floor of the earthquake-hit barCredit: X/caroline95536
The National Tsunami Warning Center has issued a tsunami warning off the northern coast of California, with parts of Oregon also affected.
Reports warn of the risk of widespread dangerous coastal flooding and strong currents.
However, the warning was canceled after ocean buoys did not measure any significant waves, and no tsunami or injuries were reported.
After the powerful magnitude 7 earthquake, 11 aftershocks were felt, CBS Bay Area reported.
The epicenter of the great earthquake was approximately 45 miles southwest of Eureka, at a shallow depth of eight miles.
Another 6.0 preliminary quake hit Humboldt County, while a 5.8 preliminary quake was reported in Cobb, Lake County.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the Humboldt County earthquake struck at 10:44 a.m. local time and was felt across much of the state, including the Bay Area.
The tremors caused chaos as BART trains were suspended in San Francisco and the Transbay subway under San Francisco Bay was closed, according to officials.
A 5.8 quake struck three minutes later 150 miles away, north of Santa Rosa.
The US National Tsunami Warning Center announced shortly before 12 noon local time that the tsunami warning has been canceled for the coastal areas of California and Oregon.
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However, evacuation orders are still in effect in low-lying areas as officials monitor the situation.
Towns and cities along the Northern California coast and Central Valley reported feeling the tremors.
Footage shows schools being evacuated as inspectors ensure buildings are structurally safe.
The city of Berkeley has issued an evacuation order due to a tsunami warning.
“People in the tsunami zone are in IMMEDIATE DANGER and MUST EVACUATE NOW,” the city of Berkeley said in a statement on Twitter.
“Stay east of 7th Street. This is a legal order to leave now.”
Magnitude 7 earthquake hits California
A TSUNAMI warning and evacuations have been issued after a magnitude 7 earthquake struck northern California. Residents are urged to leave their homes and stay away from the water.
Here’s what the USGS has to say about how often an earthquake of this magnitude occurs in the United States:
Worldwide, an average of 16 major earthquakes typically occur per year, including 15 in the magnitude 7.0 range and one of 8.0 or greater.
The US averages 63 earthquakes between magnitude 5.0 and 5.9 each year, according to the US Geological Survey.
About five are between 6.0 and 6.9 – and less than one between 7.0 and 7.9.
Source: US Geological Survey
The San Francisco Zoo was also evacuated, animals secured and staff ordered to move to higher ground.
A video has been shared online showing products being shaken inside a store in Davis, California.
Northern California was previously hit by two strong earthquakes in late 2022.
In December, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the Eureka area, killing at least two people and leaving tens of thousands without power.
Less than two weeks later, a magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck about 30 miles south of Eureka.
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Devastation at a Bay Area grocery store after the earthquakeCredit: CBS News Bay Area
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Damage reports in Humboldt County, CaliforniaCredit: CBS News Bay Area
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One 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of CaliforniaCredit: USGS
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A tsunami warning is in effect for Northern CaliforniaCredit: Google Maps
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The affected coastal area where there was a tsunami warning extended from Santa Cruz, California to central OregonCredit: Tsunami.org
What causes earthquakes?
Here’s everything you need to know…
- An earthquake is a shock wave caused by the action of extreme forces on rocks
- They are usually triggered by the movement of the Earth’s crust
- Earth’s tectonic plates, the massive crustal shelves that carry the continents and seafloor, meet at points called fault lines
- When these plates rub against each other, enormous pressure is created
- This creates shock waves that send powerful vibrations through the Earth
- The shock can split the planet’s crust and create devastating tsunamis
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