On Thursday afternoon, a moderate earthquake shook the northern Central Valley. The Lake Almanor area, northeast of Chico, roughly 2.5 miles southwest of East Shore in Plumas County, looks to be the epicentre of the earthquake.
A 5.4-magnitude earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, occurred just before 4:20 PM PST. It was initially given a 5.5-magnitude shaker rating, which was later lowered to a 5.4 and subsequently upgraded to a 5.5. Significant shaking has been observed by locals around the region.
“First thing I noticed was I heard rattling on the shelf nearby,” said Nevada City resident and former TV reporter Dan Adams.
When the earthquake hit, the Nevada County Planning Commission was debating a contentious proposal to potentially reopen a historic gold mine. As soon as the shaking started, a video of their reactions was taken. The San Francisco Bay Area and at least as far south as Sacramento and Stockton could also feel the trembling.
The USGS has tallied more than a half-dozen significantly smaller aftershocks, none larger than 3.0 magnitude. According to USGS experts, there is a very slim (6% possibility) that the primary 5.5-magnitude earthquake would be followed by a more powerful earthquake in the following three days.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the earthquake has disrupted the dispatch of cell phone 911 lines for their Chico division. People are advised to dial (530) 332-1200 if they are unable to reach the 911 operator.
Numerous bottles fell and crashed to the ground at Peninsula Market, a liquor store near the epicentre of the earthquake on the shores of Lake Almanor. Neither structural damage nor injuries have been reported.
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.
