According to the United States Geological Survey, a 5.1 magnitude earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area on Tuesday at 11:42 a.m. The quake was centered 9 miles east of Seven Trees and 12 miles east of San Jose, and was quickly followed by a 3.1 magnitude aftershock. The USGS called the quake the largest to strike since the 6.0 Napa quake in 2014 which damaged hundreds of buildings.
The quake was felt as far away as Salinas, Point Reyes and Stockton, with residents posting videos to social media of the shaking. At of press time there are no reports of any damage or injury from Tuesday’s quake. Public works employees are evaluating infrastructure for any possible damage. All trains for BART, Caltrain and VTA were stopped temporarily right after the quake as a precaution. They have since resumed operations.
Seismologists are warning residents there remains the chance of aftershocks, with the U.S. Geological Survey who predicted 10 to 15 aftershocks greater than 3.0 over the next week. The California Geological Survey tweeted Tuesday: “Additional shaking from aftershocks can be expected. We are continuing to monitor this region.”
Editorial credit: Inked Pixels / Shutterstock.com