5.6 earthquake hits northern California, USGS says - warning 'scared the life out of me'

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Mendocino County in northern California on Wednesday, the USGS said. Tremors were felt in Sacramento and San Francisco, Fox News reported.

The quake, which struck about 11 kilometers (6.9 miles) north of Redwood Valley, had a depth of 8.1 km, the USGS said.

The epicenter of the preliminary magnitude 5.6 earthquake was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco, according to the US Geological Survey.

It was felt widely, including in the fishing town of Fort Bragg. The initial quake was centered inland about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Fort Bragg at 8:10 a.m. local time, and the US Geological Survey said it was about 5 miles (8 kilometers) deep.

There were no immediate reports of damage and Reuters witnesses in the San Francisco Bay Area, about 150 miles (240 km) south of Mendocino County, reported no tremors.

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been notified of the earthquake, his X office said, adding that he is coordinating with emergency officials and assessing potential impacts and damage.

Meanwhile, the National Tsunami Warning Center said: “NO tsunami, NO hazard from recent earthquake. Duty Scientists analyzed event at 0815 PDT June 24: M5.6 – 115 miles NW of Sacramento.”

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The San Francisco Department of Emergency Management has issued an advisory to drop, cover and hold on when shaking starts.

‘Life scared me’

Several residents received earthquake alerts on their phones. The USGS said the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system has been activated. “…Nearly 657,000 earthquake early warning alerts were sent by the MyShake app,” the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said on X.

“That earthquake warning just scared the life out of me and my sleep,” said user X, sharing a screenshot of the alert on social media.

Another user said: “I just got a warning for a magnitude 6 earthquake but I can’t feel anything in San Mateo.” Anoher claimed: “OK, wow – my phone alerted me to the earthquake 20 seconds before I felt any tremors.”

Fawnell Dale, dispatch supervisor for the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, described the shaking as mild and said there were no reports of any damage or injuries.

Staff at Mendocino Coast Pharmacy were preparing to open for the day when everyone had earthquake alarms on their cellphones.

“We looked at our phones, then we looked at each other, and that’s when we felt it,” said Angie, who declined to give her last name. She described it as a jolt that lasted only a few seconds. “It wasn’t that big, but it was a little scary,” she said.

Andrea Medina, who works at Cafe One in Fort Bragg, said she can feel it. “Things were shaking,” she said. “But it’s done, not very strong. A few minutes later, a magnitude 2.5 earthquake struck near the epicenter.

Meanwhile, Philippine authorities on Tuesday warned of possible flooding in low-lying villages, landslides and rough seas in the country’s two northernmost provinces as a powerful typhoon barreled toward the coast.

Typhoon Mekhala was last tracked over the Pacific before noon, about 375 kilometers (230 miles) northeast of the city of Aparri in Cagayan province with sustained winds of up to 175 km/h (110 mph), the weather agency there said.

(With inputs from Reuters, Associated Press)