5.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Off the Coast of Eureka
At 8:23 am on Friday, a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 360 miles off the coast of Northern California, just northwest of Eureka. Although the trembles weren’t felt onshore, these type of incidents create tsunami fears on the North Coast.
The National Weather Service assured the area that no tsunami was expected from the incident:
No tsunami expected from magnitude 5.4 #earthquake 360 miles NW of Eureka at 8:23am. #CAwx https://t.co/ZvccgcSaCV
— NWS Eureka (@NWSEureka) August 16, 2019
The North Coast has a history of tsunamis in the area due to its proximity of the active geological area of the nearby Mendocino Triple Junction, which is the confluence of the San Andreas Fault and Cascadia Subduction Zone. In 1964, Crescent City had a tsunami that killed 12 people and caused $15 million in damage.
