Moderate Earthquake Shakes California, Felt Across San Francisco Bay Area

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

BOULDER CREEK, USA (Worthy News) – A moderate earthquake struck parts of the U.S. state of California early Thursday, jolting residents awake across a wide area, including San Francisco, prompting thousands to report strong shaking to authorities but causing no immediate reports of major damage, officials said.

The quake occurred in Northern California, with its epicenter near Boulder Creek in the Santa Cruz Mountains, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The magnitude 4.6 tremor struck at about 1:40 a.m. local time.

Residents reported feeling the quake across a stretch of about 100 miles (161 kilometers), from Boulder Creek to areas north of San Francisco, including Petaluma.

More than 25,000 people submitted reports to the USGS, indicating widespread shaking. Some residents said they were alerted by earthquake warning notifications on their phones moments before feeling their homes shake.

“There are on the order of 50 earthquakes a day in California,” said USGS scientist Robert de Groot in remarks to broadcaster KGO-TV. “These magnitude earthquakes don’t happen very frequently, but they happen often enough to remind us we live in earthquake country.”

LIMITED DAMAGE, NO CASUALTIES

Authorities said there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries. However, some minor incidents were reported, including items knocked off shelves in Boulder Creek, a town of about 5,000 residents located roughly 65 miles (105 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco.

Emergency services continued to monitor the situation, with no indications of significant infrastructure damage.

The latest quake follows a series of smaller tremors that rattled the San Francisco Bay Area in recent weeks. In February, a magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck near San Ramon, accompanied by at least a dozen smaller quakes.

Seismologists say such activity is not unusual. The region east of San Francisco has long experienced so-called earthquake swarms—clusters of smaller quakes occurring over short periods—highlighting the ongoing seismic risks in California.

Officials urged residents to remain prepared for possible aftershocks, though none of significant magnitude had been immediately reported.

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