Tsunami warnings cancelled after 7.0 earthquake hits California
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of northern California on Thursday prompted short-lived tsunami warnings that included the San Francisco Bay area
Experts with the U.S. Tsunami Warning Center have cancelled tsunami warnings that were issued for coastal California and Oregon on Thursday afternoon after a a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck offshore near Eureka, California.
The earthquake struck at 10:44 a.m. PST on Thursday. The location and orientation of the quake prompted immediate concern that a tsunami may have been generated. Thankfully, that appears not to have been the case. Additionally, there are currently no tsunami alerts in effect for Canada's West Coast.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported at least 18 aftershocks ranging from magnitude 2.7 to magnitude 4.3 in the hours following the initial earthquake. The number of aftershocks will likely rise into the hundreds in the coming days and weeks. The USGS reports there's a 34 percent chance of a magnitude 5.0+ aftershock within the next week.
Scattered reports of damage filtered in from the affected areas in northern California on Thursday afternoon.
Outage tracking website PowerOutage.US reported about 10,000 customers without electricity in Humboldt County, home of the city of Eureka and nearest to the epicentre, in the first hour after the quake.
Stay with The Weather Network for more information on this breaking news event.
See some of the damage and aftermath of the earthquake showing up on social media, below.
