Live updates: Tsunami warning cancelled after 7.0 earthquake strikes off California
Posted on 12/06/2024
Powerful 7.0 earthquake hits off California but no major damage reported
Damage assessments are ongoing across California after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck earlier this morning.
The earthquake's epicentre was about 68km off the coastal town of Ferndale, with residents there experiencing tremors.
The US Geological Survey initially issued a tsunami warning for California and Oregon, but this was cancelled shortly after.
More than 10,000 power outages have been reported in Humboldt County - though there have been no reports of significant damage there.
California governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in order to provide more resources for affected areas.
Strong quakes of a 7.0 magnitude and above are rarely experienced in the region - there are usually only between 10 and 15 earthquakes of this size that hit globally each year.
We're now finishing our live coverage, but you can stay across any further updates of the California earthquake here.
Hiker's phone blasted tsunami warning alert
Lisa Lambert
US reporter
Hillary Lazarus, didn't feel the earthquake as she enjoyed a peaceful, sunny hike on the Bay Area's famous Mount Tamalpais.
But she knew there was a tsunami warning. First, her iPhone sent an emergency message that was "very, very loud" and which came before there was any information posted on news sites.
She wondered, at first, if it was erroneous, as she's received tsunami alerts after earthquakes in Japan or other places along the Pacific Ocean. Then texts, alerts and robo-calls from government agencies all came through on her phone.
From her spot on Mount Tam, which is 2,579ft (786m) above sea level, she couldn't see if there was any change in the water below and didn't hear any tsunami alarms.
"I was hiking out on a mountain, so I was not concerned about my imminent safety," she said.
Why does California have so many earthquakes?
In California, the North American tectonic plate and the Pacific Plate are grinding past each other along the infamous San Andreas fault, averaging about 30-50 millimetres (1-2 inches) every year. The movement is anything but fluid.
Over time, stress created by the slow marching tectonic plates builds – when the fault reaches its stress limit, it "slips" and ruptures, causing an earthquake.
A rupture begins at one location and travels in one direction along the fault, stretching up to hundreds of kilometers.
The longest rupture ever recorded was a 994 mile (1,600km) portion of a fault that caused the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and resulting tsunami on Boxing Day 2004.
How does the power of today's earthquake compare to California's biggest tremors?
Today’s earthquake off the coast of California reached a magnitude of 7.0.
This region of America is where some of the Earth’s tectonic plates meet, often resulting in friction that passes up to ground level.
But a 7.0 magnitude quake isn't typical in the region, or for that matter, anywhere that gets frequent earthquakes. Between about 10 to 15 earthquakes of this power are recorded globally each year.
So how does today's tremor compare to some of California's largest earthquakes?
There have been 12 other earthquakes measuring 7.0 or greater, according to data, external that has been recorded since 1800.
In 1994, a 6.7 quake hit Northridge, a neighbourhood in the densely populated San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. About 57 people died (this number is likely higher because of people who had heart attacks), and thousands were hurt. It caused about $20 billion of damage.
In 1906, more than 80% of San Francisco was destroyed following a 7.9 magnitude quake, which led to widespread fires and the deaths of 3,000 people.
There have been no fatalities or major damage recorded so far from today's event.
'Felt like standing on a giant waterbed'
Samantha Granville
Reporting from California
Todd Dunaway was home eating lunch when the earthquake hit in Fortuna. He said it started off with a few trembles and then grew quickly into some major rolls.
“It literally felt like standing on a giant waterbed,” he said. “The noise of rattling windows, creaking walls, falling dishes and decorations added to the drama and scariness of it all."
Dunaway ran outside, calling for his wife to follow. When she didn’t come, he ran back inside to see if she needed help, but she had stayed back holding on to their new flat screen TV - which surely would have wobbled off its perch had she not held on to it.
“She risked her life so I could watch my Golden State Warriors game tonight - what a girl! I think I'll keep that woman,” Todd said jokingly.
His large swimming pool was still sloshing ferociously for minutes after the shaking stopped and lost about 18 inches of water. His sporting goods store experienced some damage, but nothing permanent.
California governor declares state of emergency after quake
A California governor has declared a state of emergency in response to the earthquake off the coast.
Governor Gavin Newsom says his team is "concerned about damage", particularly in the north of the state.
As a result, he says that declaring a state of emergency will "allow us to provide more resources" for affected areas.
Newsom also says that "early damage assessments are being made".
"It's another reminder of the state that we live in and the state of mind that we need to bring to our day to day reality," he says.
No significant damage reported in California's Humboldt
Two hours after the earthquake struck California, there have been no confirmed reports of significant damage in California's Humboldt County.
According to Poweroutage.us, however, nearly 10,500 people in the area remain without power.
Earlier, state senator Mike McGuire said on X that "there are reports of some homes that have come off of foundations in the greater Eel River Valley of Humboldt".
No further details were provided.
Videos on social media - which have yet to be independently confirmed by the BBC - appear to show minor damage in local businesses, including cracked glass, broken doors and items strewn around a grocery store.
What to do in a tsunami warning
Christal Hayes
Reporting from California
Those of us who live along the West Coast of the US are used to earthquakes, though I haven't experienced a 7.0 magnitude before today.
I live along the coastline and signs reading "tsunami hazard zone" litter the roads in my neighbourhood. They mark areas that are particularly at risk if a tsunami hits and encourage people to flee to higher ground if there is an earthquake.
Some signs also help evacuate people to safe areas with arrows pointing to higher ground, making it easy to see your evacuation route.
Those who live in these tsunami zones are encouraged to know their evacuation routes and have a kit ready for quick evacuation.
The state's emergency services website notes a tsunami can hit in as little as 5 to 10 minutes after a large earthquake and sometimes the first wave to hit is often not the biggest.
It notes if you see water draw out from the shoreline and out to sea quickly, "escape immediately to higher ground or inland".
Over 10,000 people without power in California's Humboldt
More than 10,000 people are without power in California's Humboldt County after the powerful earthquake of the coast, according to tracking website Poweroutage.us.
The figure represents about 10% of the approximately 99,000 customers the website tracks in the area.
Mike McGuire, a state senator representing California's North Coast, said on X that the state "is sending immediate assistance" to Humboldt and nearby Del Norte county to assist with emergency operations.
"There are reports of some homes that have come off of foundations in the greater Eel River Valley of Humboldt," he wrote. "We remain in contact with local emergency managers, prepared to meet any and all needs."
Despite no tsunami danger, residents warned to avoid hazard zones
While the tsunami warning has been cancelled for coastal areas of California and Oregon on the US west coast, officials are warning residents to avoid some areas for the time being.
In a bulletin, the National Tsunami Warning Center warned people in the area to "not re-occupy hazard ones until local emergency officials indicate it is safe to do so."
No tsunami observations were available to report, according to the centre.
The centre added that there will be no further updates about this incident.
'Looks like a bomb has gone off' after earthquake
It is unclear how widespread the damage is, but one resident of Ferndale who spoke to the BBC in the minutes following the earthquake said the inside of the building she was in "looks like a bomb has gone off in every room".
Olivia Cobian, the innkeeper at the Gingerbread Mansion Inn in Ferndale, said the inside of the inn now "looks like a warzone".
"We have huge cast iron fireplaces that have been lifted up and moved over, everything's fallen over, broken".
Multiple aftershocks have been reported since the initial earthquake, which struck around 1400 ET ( 9:00 GMT).
Damage assessments are ongoing across California after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck earlier this morning.
The earthquake's epicentre was about 68km off the coastal town of Ferndale, with residents there experiencing tremors.
The US Geological Survey initially issued a tsunami warning for California and Oregon, but this was cancelled shortly after.
More than 10,000 power outages have been reported in Humboldt County - though there have been no reports of significant damage there.
California governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in order to provide more resources for affected areas.
Strong quakes of a 7.0 magnitude and above are rarely experienced in the region - there are usually only between 10 and 15 earthquakes of this size that hit globally each year.
We're now finishing our live coverage, but you can stay across any further updates of the California earthquake here.
Hiker's phone blasted tsunami warning alert
Lisa Lambert
US reporter
Hillary Lazarus, didn't feel the earthquake as she enjoyed a peaceful, sunny hike on the Bay Area's famous Mount Tamalpais.
But she knew there was a tsunami warning. First, her iPhone sent an emergency message that was "very, very loud" and which came before there was any information posted on news sites.
She wondered, at first, if it was erroneous, as she's received tsunami alerts after earthquakes in Japan or other places along the Pacific Ocean. Then texts, alerts and robo-calls from government agencies all came through on her phone.
From her spot on Mount Tam, which is 2,579ft (786m) above sea level, she couldn't see if there was any change in the water below and didn't hear any tsunami alarms.
"I was hiking out on a mountain, so I was not concerned about my imminent safety," she said.
Why does California have so many earthquakes?
In California, the North American tectonic plate and the Pacific Plate are grinding past each other along the infamous San Andreas fault, averaging about 30-50 millimetres (1-2 inches) every year. The movement is anything but fluid.
Over time, stress created by the slow marching tectonic plates builds – when the fault reaches its stress limit, it "slips" and ruptures, causing an earthquake.
A rupture begins at one location and travels in one direction along the fault, stretching up to hundreds of kilometers.
The longest rupture ever recorded was a 994 mile (1,600km) portion of a fault that caused the Great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake and resulting tsunami on Boxing Day 2004.
How does the power of today's earthquake compare to California's biggest tremors?
Today’s earthquake off the coast of California reached a magnitude of 7.0.
This region of America is where some of the Earth’s tectonic plates meet, often resulting in friction that passes up to ground level.
But a 7.0 magnitude quake isn't typical in the region, or for that matter, anywhere that gets frequent earthquakes. Between about 10 to 15 earthquakes of this power are recorded globally each year.
So how does today's tremor compare to some of California's largest earthquakes?
There have been 12 other earthquakes measuring 7.0 or greater, according to data, external that has been recorded since 1800.
In 1994, a 6.7 quake hit Northridge, a neighbourhood in the densely populated San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. About 57 people died (this number is likely higher because of people who had heart attacks), and thousands were hurt. It caused about $20 billion of damage.
In 1906, more than 80% of San Francisco was destroyed following a 7.9 magnitude quake, which led to widespread fires and the deaths of 3,000 people.
There have been no fatalities or major damage recorded so far from today's event.
'Felt like standing on a giant waterbed'
Samantha Granville
Reporting from California
Todd Dunaway was home eating lunch when the earthquake hit in Fortuna. He said it started off with a few trembles and then grew quickly into some major rolls.
“It literally felt like standing on a giant waterbed,” he said. “The noise of rattling windows, creaking walls, falling dishes and decorations added to the drama and scariness of it all."
Dunaway ran outside, calling for his wife to follow. When she didn’t come, he ran back inside to see if she needed help, but she had stayed back holding on to their new flat screen TV - which surely would have wobbled off its perch had she not held on to it.
“She risked her life so I could watch my Golden State Warriors game tonight - what a girl! I think I'll keep that woman,” Todd said jokingly.
His large swimming pool was still sloshing ferociously for minutes after the shaking stopped and lost about 18 inches of water. His sporting goods store experienced some damage, but nothing permanent.
California governor declares state of emergency after quake
A California governor has declared a state of emergency in response to the earthquake off the coast.
Governor Gavin Newsom says his team is "concerned about damage", particularly in the north of the state.
As a result, he says that declaring a state of emergency will "allow us to provide more resources" for affected areas.
Newsom also says that "early damage assessments are being made".
"It's another reminder of the state that we live in and the state of mind that we need to bring to our day to day reality," he says.
No significant damage reported in California's Humboldt
Two hours after the earthquake struck California, there have been no confirmed reports of significant damage in California's Humboldt County.
According to Poweroutage.us, however, nearly 10,500 people in the area remain without power.
Earlier, state senator Mike McGuire said on X that "there are reports of some homes that have come off of foundations in the greater Eel River Valley of Humboldt".
No further details were provided.
Videos on social media - which have yet to be independently confirmed by the BBC - appear to show minor damage in local businesses, including cracked glass, broken doors and items strewn around a grocery store.
What to do in a tsunami warning
Christal Hayes
Reporting from California
Those of us who live along the West Coast of the US are used to earthquakes, though I haven't experienced a 7.0 magnitude before today.
I live along the coastline and signs reading "tsunami hazard zone" litter the roads in my neighbourhood. They mark areas that are particularly at risk if a tsunami hits and encourage people to flee to higher ground if there is an earthquake.
Some signs also help evacuate people to safe areas with arrows pointing to higher ground, making it easy to see your evacuation route.
Those who live in these tsunami zones are encouraged to know their evacuation routes and have a kit ready for quick evacuation.
The state's emergency services website notes a tsunami can hit in as little as 5 to 10 minutes after a large earthquake and sometimes the first wave to hit is often not the biggest.
It notes if you see water draw out from the shoreline and out to sea quickly, "escape immediately to higher ground or inland".
Over 10,000 people without power in California's Humboldt
More than 10,000 people are without power in California's Humboldt County after the powerful earthquake of the coast, according to tracking website Poweroutage.us.
The figure represents about 10% of the approximately 99,000 customers the website tracks in the area.
Mike McGuire, a state senator representing California's North Coast, said on X that the state "is sending immediate assistance" to Humboldt and nearby Del Norte county to assist with emergency operations.
"There are reports of some homes that have come off of foundations in the greater Eel River Valley of Humboldt," he wrote. "We remain in contact with local emergency managers, prepared to meet any and all needs."
Despite no tsunami danger, residents warned to avoid hazard zones
While the tsunami warning has been cancelled for coastal areas of California and Oregon on the US west coast, officials are warning residents to avoid some areas for the time being.
In a bulletin, the National Tsunami Warning Center warned people in the area to "not re-occupy hazard ones until local emergency officials indicate it is safe to do so."
No tsunami observations were available to report, according to the centre.
The centre added that there will be no further updates about this incident.
'Looks like a bomb has gone off' after earthquake
It is unclear how widespread the damage is, but one resident of Ferndale who spoke to the BBC in the minutes following the earthquake said the inside of the building she was in "looks like a bomb has gone off in every room".
Olivia Cobian, the innkeeper at the Gingerbread Mansion Inn in Ferndale, said the inside of the inn now "looks like a warzone".
"We have huge cast iron fireplaces that have been lifted up and moved over, everything's fallen over, broken".
Multiple aftershocks have been reported since the initial earthquake, which struck around 1400 ET ( 9:00 GMT).
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