Surprisingly, there was a 7.0-magnitude earthquake this morning off the coast of Petrolia, California. It sent out a tsunami warning, which scared and hurried people along the coast. Many people had to leave their homes from Humboldt County to San Francisco because of the earthquake, which was reported at 10:44 a.m. local time.

The jolt that made the area shake

People all over Northern California had trouble with their daily lives because of the earthquake. It was strong enough to shake homes and buildings. The event took place near the active Mendocino Triple Junction. People in San Francisco said they felt something roll for a short time. All day, aftershocks, some as strong as 5.0, kept shaking the area.

The USGS said at first that the quake was a 6.6 magnitude, but later they changed their minds and said it was a 7.0 magnitude. No big damage to buildings was reported right away, but officials in the area are still looking into it.

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A lot of people are leaving because they are scared of tsunamis.

After the earthquake, the National Tsunami Warning Center sent out a very important message telling everyone to get to higher ground right away.

“The coasts near you may be hit by a series of strong waves and currents.” You are in danger. The message said, “Move inland or to higher ground right now,” which made a lot of people leave their homes.

San Francisco police and firefighters used sirens to tell people to stay away from the coast. Schools, shops, and beaches were quickly cleared. Another person who lives in the Mission District and is 86 years old said, “It was terrifying.” We didn’t know how big the waves would be. “We just got ready and went to a hill,” she stated.

At the same time, there was chaos in Humboldt County. Homes were said to have been ripped off their foundations, roads were cracked, and power went out to over 10,000 people.

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Why tech was very important

California has an early warning system for earthquakes called ShakeAlert. It was very helpful in this case. The people living there were given important seconds of warning, which let them get ready to move. That’s what the MyShake app was designed to do: send alerts straight to smartphones. It did that for millions of people across the area.

The USGS said, “The system worked as planned, sending out early warnings that definitely saved lives.”

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All of us breathe a sigh of relief.

The tsunami alert was taken down at 11:54 a.m., a little over an hour after the first quake. While officials said the earthquake was a real danger, they also said that the tectonic plates were moving mostly horizontally, which makes it less likely that there will be a wave.

The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, said, “This serves as a reminder of how vulnerable our state is to natural disasters and how important it is to be ready.” Thanks to the quick response of the rescue teams and the strength of our towns.

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Just one last thing: Are we all set?

Tsunami Warning CANCELED #CAwx pic.twitter.com/WIOaUP5geC

— NWS Bay Area 🌉 (@NWSBayArea) December 5, 2024

The risk is over for now, but what happened today shows that places like California are always dangerous. Experts tell people to pay attention to all alerts and make being ready their top priority:

• Keep emergency tools on hand at all times: Bring things you’ll need, like food, water, medicine, and extra power sources.
• Know where you can go if you need to! Find out about safe roads and high spots.
• Do it right away: When there is an earthquake risk, every second counts.

This shows how important it is to have good ways to communicate, clear evacuation plans, and general awareness. Both the government and the people who live there can learn from this.

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Moving Forward

People are still very upset about the quake and tsunami fear, even though no one was hurt. The weather in Humboldt County and San Francisco made people remember how dangerous nature can be and how important it is to be careful.

When scientists and emergency teams think back on what happened today, one thing is clear: the people of California were ready and quick to act, which kept things from going badly.

Make sure you watch this station often for reports and analysis from experts. ( Topinfo )