Magnitude 5.5 earthquake shakes Northern California, jolt felt in San Francisco
A preliminary magnitude 5.5 earthquake shook Northern California Thursday afternoon, officials said.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at 4:19 p.m. PT. The quake's center was about 2.5 miles southwest of the community of East Shore, according to the USGS. A brief jolt was felt in the San Francisco Bay Area but there are no immediate reports of damage.
"Since the quake was greater than magnitude 5, #ShakeAlert-powered alerts were delivered to cell phones," USGS ShakeAlert said on Twitter.
Good afternoon Northeastern, CA! Did you feel the M5.4 quake about 3 miles from East Shore at 4:19 pm? The #ShakeAlert system was activated. See: https://t.co/ggzHGYCcWf @Cal_OES @CAGeoSurvey pic.twitter.com/ThQQFtg4os
— USGS ShakeAlert (@USGS_ShakeAlert) May 11, 2023
Preliminary readings said the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.7, but the USGS updated its reading to 5.5. The earthquake was followed by several aftershocks that ranged from 2.5 to 3.8 in magnitude, according to the USGS.
The California Highway Patrol in Yuba-Sutter said the earthquake caused a disruption at the agency’s Chico dispatch center and 911 lines were down. The agency advised people in the region to call 530-332-1200 as they work to fix the issue.
East Shore is a census-designated place with a population of over 150 and is about 162 miles northeast of Sacramento.
Northern California residents jolted by earthquake
Thursday's earthquake jolted portions of Northern California with some residents sharing their reactions on social media.
People reported feeling the earthquake across several counties, including Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, San Joaquin, Solano, Colusa, Nevada, Yolo and Butte counties.
Anyone else feel that #earthquake? We sure did in downtown Sacramento. pic.twitter.com/gJlxfNvfnO
— Sactown Magazine (@SactownMagazine) May 11, 2023