Massive 7.0-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Northern California; Tsunami Warning Lifted
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – A tsunami warning was lifted after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck offshore near Cape Mendocino in Northern California on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reported. The tremor, recorded at around 10:44 a.m., occurred roughly 62 miles west of Ferndale, California, according to the agency.
The 7.0-magnitude quake was among roughly 17 seismic events shaking Northern California on Thursday, most centered in Humboldt County. At least four occurred near Ferndale, while around Petrolia, at least 10 quakes ranging from 3.1 to 4.2 magnitude were recorded.
To understand the scale of a 7.0 earthquake, the Hiroshima-Equivalent Calculator suggests its energy is comparable to detonating 32 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs—or more than 475 megatons of TNT. Hiroshima was one of two Japanese cities bombed by the United States in the 1940s, an event that helped bring World War II to a close.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that he had signed an emergency declaration to aid in responding to the recent quakes.
“It’s another reminder of the state that we live in and the state of mind that we need to bring to our day-to-day reality here in the state of California, in terms of being prepared for earthquakes,” Newsom stated.
He added, “I just want to thank everybody, particularly our local law enforcement agencies, for their outstanding work and working through their protocols as quickly and efficiently as they have.”
Christine Goulet, director of the USGS Earthquake Science Center in Los Angeles, said the 7.0-magnitude quake originated less than a mile underground, making it unusually shallow.
More than a dozen aftershocks were recorded, and according to USGS analysis, there is about a 5% chance that another earthquake exceeding magnitude 6.0 could occur in the area within the next week.
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