Large Earthquake Off California Coast Rattles Region including SW Oregon
A 7.3 earthquake off the northern coast of California this morning led to a tsunami warning along parts of the California and Oregon coast. The tsunami warning was canceled shortly before noon.
The earthquake occurred at 10:44 a.m. about 40 miles off the coast of California near Petrolia at a depth of less than half a mile.
Though the earthquake happened in California, many people in Oregon, along the coast and in the southern part of the state, received alerts on their phones through ShakeAlert, an early warning system from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The area where the earthquake occurred is known as the Mendocino Triple Junction, likely near the Mendocino Fracture Zone. The Mendocino Triple Junction is where the Gorda, North American and Pacific plates meet. The area is quite active – it experienced a 6.4 earthquake on Dec. 20, 2022, a 6.2 on Dec. 20, 2021 and 6.6 on Dec. 8, 2016.
The National Weather Service estimated that waves could begin in Port Orford at 11:20 a.m., Brookings at 11:25 a.m. and Charleston at 11:40 a.m. but, according to the agency, those waves did not materialize.
Still, people along the coast should also be prepared for aftershocks.
The tsunami warning was in effect for the south central Oregon Coast and Curry County coast from 10:49 a.m. to 11:49 a.m. It stretched from 10 miles northwest of Santa Cruz to 10 miles southwest of Florence.
Posted on 12/5/24 12:54PM by Sam Marsh
