A powerful earthquake has struck the coast of California, USA, with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale. Initially, a tsunami warning was issued following the quake but was later withdrawn.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake hit Northern California’s coast with a magnitude of 7. Following the tremor, tsunami warnings were issued for both Northern California and Southern Oregon but were subsequently canceled. Approximately 4.7 million people reside in the affected area.
The epicenter was located near the small town of Ferndale in Humboldt County, about 260 miles (418 kilometers) north of San Francisco. Local officials reported no casualties or significant damages following the earthquake.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office informed CBS News that there were no catastrophic damages to buildings or infrastructure, although some homes experienced minor damage. The Sheriff’s Office noted that items fell from shelves in several stores, and many residents temporarily lost power.
According to the monitoring site PowerOutage.US, more than 10,000 people in Humboldt County were left without electricity after the earthquake.
While the quake did not cause widespread damage, a Ferndale resident speaking to the BBC moments after the quake described the experience as feeling like “a bomb had gone off in every room” of the building they were in.
Olivia Cobian, the keeper of Ferndale’s Gingerbread Mansion Inn, described the inn’s interior as “looking like a battlefield.” She said, “We have large cast-iron fireplaces that have been moved and shifted, everything has fallen apart.”
She further stated, “It literally felt like standing on a massive waterbed. The sound of rattling windows, crumbling walls, breaking dishes, and decorations was terrifying.”
Another resident, Dunaway, shared that he and his wife were trembling in fear for about 15 minutes, waiting to see if a stronger aftershock would follow.