Tsunami Warning Canceled After California Quake

UPDATE Dec 5, 2024 2:19 PM CST

A tsunami warning issued for parts of the California and Oregon coasts after a strong quake was canceled soon after it was issued Thursday. Dave Snider, the NOAA's tsunami warning coordinator, says the warning was issued because of the strength of the 7.0 quake and its proximity to shore, NBC Bay Area reports. He says it was canceled after further analysis of the quake's impact. "For the US West Coast, this is tricky stuff," Snider says. "This is time-based. So we have to get that alert out, and then confirm, yes or no, that something is happening.In this case, thankfully, it looks like a destructive wave is not on the table today."

Dec 5, 2024 1:39 PM CST

A tsunami warning was issued for a long stretch of the West Coast Thursday after a strong earthquake hit Northern California. The US Tsunami Warning System said the warning was in effect from Douglas/Lane Line Oregon, around 10 miles southwest of Florence, to Davenport, California, around 10 miles north of Santa Cruz. The United States Geological Survey said the epicenter of the 7.0 quake was near Ferndale in California's Humboldt County, ABC News reports. The USGS said the quake hit at 10:44am. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

People near the coast were advised to move to higher ground or inland. "Tsunami warnings mean that a tsunami with significant inundation is expected or occurring," the California Governor's Office of Emergency Service said, per KTLA. "Warnings indicate that widespread dangerous coastal flooding accompanied by powerful currents are possible and may continue for several hours after the initial wave arrival." The quake was felt as far south as San Francisco, where residents said they felt a rolling motion for a few seconds, followed by aftershocks, the AP reports. The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District said all traffic was stopped through the underwater tunnel linking Oakland and San Francisco.

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National Weather Service spokesperson Karleisa Rogacheski said the first waves are expected to hit around 12:10pm local time, though they could hit earlier further north, SFGate reports. "Stay away from the waters. Don't go out looking for the tsunami," she said. "We don't want people to get caught off in stuff offshore." (More California earthquake stories.)