Tsunami warning after earthquake rocks northern California

A magnitude 7.0 quake was recorded this morning, prompting warnings for a large stretch of California’s coastline.

A tsunami warning was issued for a long stretch of northern California after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake on Thursday morning, local time.

The quake was recorded at a depth of just 10km, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and about 100km southwest of Ferndale – a town 200km south of the border with Oregon.

The USGS, which monitors seismic activity, said the quake struck at 10:44am local time (5:44am AEDT).

The National Weather Service (NWS) said the tsunami warning had been cancelled about 12pm local time (7am AEDT), saying “no tsunami danger presently exists for this area”.

The tsunami warning area had included the major city of San Francisco and took in parts of the state’s northern neighbour Oregon.

“Based on preliminary earthquake parameters … hazardous tsunami are possible for coasts located within 300 KM of the earthquake epicenter,” said a warning issued by the NWS’s Tsunami Warning Center in Honolulu.

The tsunami warning zone. Picture: Supplied/tsunami.gov

Los Angeles’ NWS branch said about 11:30am local time: “San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties are still being evaluated for potential Tsunami impacts.”

The tsunami warning noted that no areas had yet experienced any waves, but that anyone near a coastline should be alert to the possibility of danger.

Olivia Cobian, innkeeper at Ferndale’s the Gingerbread Mansion bed and breakfast told the LA Times her 1895 building “looked like a war zone”.

“I have fireplaces flying forward.” she said. “Clawfoot tubs that have been lifted off (their mounts) and scooched over. This is crazy.”

Smartphone users received warnings urging them to move to higher ground immediately, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

“A series of powerful waves and strong currents may impact coasts near you,” the warning said.

“You are in danger. Get away from coastal waters.”

The Chronicle said tsunami warning sirens were activated along a stretch of the coast, including in Bonny Doon in Santa Cruz County.

Ferndale (red marker) is located in northern California. Picture: Google

State Senator for California Mike McGuire wrote on X: “If you’re a resident in Crescent City in Del Norte County – until further notice – there is a mandatory evacuation order in place due to a tsunami threat.

“All residents should head to higher ground immediately and follow local OES and Sheriff Office instructions.”

Media reports suggested that the quake had been felt across the region, including in the Bay Area, where some people said they had felt strong shaking and rolling waves underfoot.

The US West Coast is the confluence of a number of the Earth’s tectonic plates, and tremors are not uncommon.

The area has been struck by a number of major earthquakes, including a 1994 quake that hit Northridge, in the Los Angeles area, killing dozens of people and injuring thousands more, as it wrought billions of dollars of damage to homes and infrastructure.

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906, which also caused a tsunami, is thought to have killed upwards of 3,000 people, some of whom died in fires that erupted after the powerful tremor