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A minor earthquake that occurred on Thursday afternoon rattled the northern Central Valley. The epicentre of the earthquake appears to be in the Lake Almanor region in Plumas County, 2.5 miles southwest of East Shore and northeast of Chico.
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 occurred just before 4:20 PM PST. Initially rated as a 5.5-magnitude shaker, it was eventually downgraded to a 5.4 before being raised to a 5.5. Locals in the area have reported feeling a lot of shaking.
“First thing I noticed was I heard rattling on the shelf nearby,” said Nevada City resident and former TV reporter Dan Adams.
The Nevada County Planning Commission was discussing a contentious plan to potentially reopen a historic gold mine when the earthquake occurred. A video of their responses was captured as soon as the shaking began. The trembling was also felt in the San Francisco Bay Area and possibly as far south as Sacramento and Stockton.
More than a dozen aftershocks with magnitudes significantly less than 3.0 have been recorded by the USGS. The likelihood of a stronger earthquake occurring within three days of the initial 5.5-magnitude quake is extremely remote (6%), according to USGS scientists.
The dispatch of cell phone 911 lines for the California Highway Patrol’s Chico division has been interfered with as a result of the earthquake. If a person cannot reach the 911 operator, they are urged to call (530) 332-1200.
At Peninsula Market, a liquor store located close to the earthquake’s center on the beaches of Lake Almanor, had a number of bottle drops and crashes to the ground. There haven’t been any reports of injuries or structural damage.
A 5.7-magnitude earthquake struck the same region of Lake Almanor precisely nine and a half years ago. It struck on May 23, 2013, however, no fatalities or significant property damage were reported.
About 80 miles northeast of Chico and 150 miles north of Sacramento are Lake Almanor.
