USA Seaquake off Northern California: Tsunami warning lifted
A strong seaquake off the coast of Northern California has startled the residents of the western US state, but fortunately there were no catastrophic consequences. According to state officials, the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0 and initially triggered a tsunami warning for the coastal region. Residents were asked to leave low-lying areas close to the beach as a precaution. The alert was then lifted a good hour after the earth tremor.
06.12.2024, 07:32
SDA
According to the US broadcaster CNN, around five million people along the coast were affected by the warning. As a result of seaquakes, coastal regions can potentially be flooded, strong currents can develop and higher waves can hit land.
The quake occurred in the Pacific Ocean, 100 kilometers west of Ferndale. The town is located not far from the coast, around 400 kilometers north of San Francisco. On social networks, eyewitnesses described moments of shock in which their houses swayed, furniture toppled and shelves in stores tipped over.
"Everything was shaking and things were falling off the shelves," sales clerk Dolly Pawar in the village of Petrolia told the San Francisco Chronicle. There were initially no reports of injuries in the region. However, power was temporarily cut in thousands of households.
Researchers expect further aftershocks
Quakes of this kind are not uncommon in California. According to the US earthquake observatory USGS, this time the center of the quake was located in a region where three tectonic plates meet. Researchers are expecting further aftershocks in the coming days.
In 1964, a deadly tsunami struck the northern Californian town of Crescent City. Twelve people died when the tidal wave triggered by a severe quake in Alaska flooded the town. Dozens of buildings were destroyed.
