SAN FRANCISCO—A 4.2 magnitude earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay area on Saturday, January 16 at 8:01 p.m.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake hit near Watsonville, Santa Cruz County, California. Five minutes later, the USGS reported another earthquake, a 3.0 magnitude struck the same region.
VolcanoDiscovery.com is a known news outlet for earthquake and volcano updates and their monitoring service has been featured on the BBC, CNN, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic television channels. According to Volcano Discovery, the earthquake was 4.9 miles beneath the surface, “Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter. It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.”
The San Francisco News contacted the San Francisco Police Department, asking if there were any reported injuries or damages because of the earthquake, but no response was received before print.
People have left comments on Volcano Discovery’s website describing their experiences. One witness in Watsonville said, “I was standing by the kitchen sink when the shaking started. I could feel strong movements under my feet that were strong enough to cause me to hold on. My first thought was ‘Oops! here comes an earthquake!’ Dishes and glassware rattled. No breakage. Then it was gone. Even a 4.2 is a little scary. Having Mother Earth’s stability disappear beneath one’s feet is always a little jarring.”
Another witness who indicated they resided in San Francisco near the Outer Sunset neighborhood stated:
“It seemed like it lasted about 3 seconds and felt like a rolling motion. Definitely knew it was an earthquake and I knew it was stronger than the others we felt recently.”
The California Geological Survey published some tips on what to do during an earthquake on their website including, “If you’re indoors, stay there. Get under — and hold onto –a desk or table or stand against an interior wall.”
If an earthquake strikes when one is close to an exterior wall, glass, heavy furniture, fireplaces, or appliances, the California Geological Survey said to get away as fast as possible because it is a particularly dangerous spot.
The California Geological Survey indicated that it is common to think being in a doorway during an earthquake is correct but, “That’s false unless you live in an unreinforced adobe structure; otherwise, you’re more likely to be hurt by the door swinging wildly in a doorway or trampled by people trying to hurry outside if you’re in a public place.”
