A powerful 7.0 earthquake rattled Northern California Thursday morning prompting a brief tsunami warning for more than 5 million people along the West Coast.
The tremor hit at 10:44 a.m. west of Ferndale in coastal Humboldt County and was felt some 270 miles away in San Francisco, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
A tsunami warning was issued after the quake and lasted for roughly an hour. It covered nearly 500 miles of the coastline between Monterey Bay and Oregon.
“It was a strong quake. Our building shook. We’re fine, but I have a mess to clean up right now,” said a Ferndale store owner.
Eureka Mayor Kim Bergel said lights were swaying back and forth, and people were hiding under desks at the local middle school where she works.
“The kids were so great and terrified. It seemed to go back and forth for quite a long time. Some children asked, ‘Can I call my mom?’”
President Joe Biden was briefed on the quake and FEMA officials are in contact with state and local officials in California and Oregon, a White House spokesperson said.
Governor Gavin Newsom said he signed off a state of emergency declaration to direct state resources to impacted areas in the northern part of the state.
