Short tsunami warning in force Severe magnitude 7 seaquake off the coast of Northern California - dozens of aftershocks
The strong earthquake caused shelves to sway.
Image: Keystone
Due to a tsunami warning, people had to leave endangered areas near the coast.
Image: Keystone
Beaches in California were evacuated due to the risk of a tsunami.
Image: Keystone
After the tsunami warning on Thursday morning: the empty Ocean Beach in San Francisco.
Image: Keystone
The strong earthquake caused shelves to sway.
Image: Keystone
Due to a tsunami warning, people had to leave endangered areas near the coast.
Image: Keystone
Beaches in California were evacuated due to the risk of a tsunami.
Image: Keystone
After the tsunami warning on Thursday morning: the empty Ocean Beach in San Francisco.
Image: Keystone
Houses sway, shelves tip over in stores: An earthquake and tsunami warning startle the residents of the US West Coast. The all-clear is quickly given - but the region remains a risk area.
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.
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.
People in Northern California received warnings on their smartphones. They were told to seek higher ground immediately if they were close to the coast. "A series of strong waves and strong currents may hit the coasts near you," the warning message said. "You are in danger. Move away from coastal waters."
The city of Berkeley, located on San Francisco Bay, issued an evacuation order for the western part of the city.
"Everything was shaking and things were falling off the shelves," sales clerk Dolly Pawar in the coastal town of Petrolia in Humboldt County told the San Francisco Chronicle. There were initially no reports of casualties 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. There were dozens of aftershocks on Thursday after the first quake, some of which reached a magnitude of 4.0. Researchers are expecting more 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.