On Wednesday morning, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake shook Mendocino County. This event activated ShakeAlert notifications throughout Northern California.
The earthquake struck at 8:10 a.m. Pacific Time and was centered approximately seven miles north of Redwood Valley, an area with a sparse population in inland Mendocino County, as reported by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Residents received alerts via ShakeAlert, the USGS early warning system designed for California, Washington, and Oregon. Shortly afterward, a preliminary 2.5-magnitude quake occurred in the same area, followed by potential aftershocks measuring 2.7 and 2.6 an hour later. The USGS recorded the earthquake at a depth of about five miles, with an impact alert level classified as yellow, indicating the possibility of some damage.
Alex Chehada, owner of Redwood Valley Market, witnessed items falling from the shelves during the quake. Mendocino County’s Executive Office reported some injuries, although details regarding their severity remain undisclosed. Thankfully, no fatalities have been confirmed.
Shaking from the earthquake was noted as far as Sacramento, with some power outages reported in Willits, near the quake’s epicenter. According to PG&E, 8,000 customers experienced outages that began simultaneously with the earthquake. Although PG&E reported no damage to its facilities, the company activated its emergency response plan to address any gas and electric hazards. Crews continue to patrol and assess for potential damage.
Authorities assured that the earthquake posed no tsunami risk, as confirmed by the National Tsunami Warning Center. In addition, employees at Testa Coffee & Wine in Redwood Valley were seen cleaning up after the seismic activity.
Fort Bragg, located about 50 miles west of the earthquake’s epicenter, remained on alert but reported no damage. Mendocino County officials continued their assessment, stating that no major damage had been identified. California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office also confirmed receipt of a briefing on the incident.
Redwood Valley lies about 120 miles north of San Francisco and approximately 140 miles northwest of Sacramento.