A 5.3-magnitude earthquake shook parts of Northern California late Tuesday, triggering emergency alerts on some residents’ phones urging them to “Drop, Cover, Hold On.”
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake’s epicenter was about nine miles northeast of Susanville, a town of roughly 18,000 people in the far northeastern part of the state.
The tremor originated at a shallow depth of about 5.6 miles beneath the epicenter, a factor that typically produces stronger shaking at the surface than deeper earthquakes. The USGS noted that the exact magnitude, depth and epicenter location could change as data continues to be reviewed and calculations are refined.
One social media user who received an emergency alert said they did not feel the quake.
“Just got a earthquake shake alert but didn’t feel it,” the user wrote in a post on X. “My cat laying on me didn’t flinch so he didn’t feel it either.”
Other residents reported noticeable shaking.
“I was laying down in bed and felt the bed moving and I thought that was so weird and then I turned over and see my TV kind of swaying back-and-forth,” wrote a Facebook user in Chico, California. “I called my mom and that’s when she told me there was a 5.3 earthquake near Susanville and I’m like oh that’s exactly what I felt earthquake.”
“The switches on our ceiling fan turned into pendulums in Chico,” another user wrote in response to a post from a Butte County emergency alert group.
“Sitting on my sofa in Chico I felt a couple ‘rollers’ and my Christmas tree rocked ever so slightly,” a third person said.
The USGS estimated that areas near the epicenter experienced light to moderate shaking. A wider region, extending as far as Reno and Carson City in Nevada, likely felt weak shaking, according to an early agency report.
“Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist,” the USGS said. “The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and reinforced masonry construction.”
The agency also noted that recent earthquakes in the area have triggered secondary hazards such as landslides and liquefaction, which could contribute to losses from Tuesday night’s quake.
USGS officials said there was a low likelihood the earthquake caused injuries or significant damage.
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