Earthquakes Rattle NorCal Thursday Afternoon

CALIFORNIA — A series of earthquakes rattled communities across Northern California and the Central Valley Thursday afternoon, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The biggest quake was a 6.0 magnitude temblor that occurred near Markleeville in Alpine County, according to the California governor's Office of Emergency Services. It was centered on the Nevada side of the California-Nevada border and reported around 3:50 p.m.

Dozens of aftershocks followed, according to the USGS. It's common for eastern California to see numerous aftershocks following a faulting earthquake, said seismologist Lucy Jones on Twitter.

The M5.9 this afternoon is a classic normal faulting earthquake for eastern California. As is common in this region, there are a lot of aftershocks - 10 above M3 in the first hour.https://t.co/b4WBvbM00x pic.twitter.com/8bwslx5pxj
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) July 8, 2021

A 4.8 magnitude quake centered near Farmington in San Joaquin County was felt around the same time, according to the emergency services office.

There were no preliminary reports of damage or injuries, the emergency services office said on Twitter.

"This is a rapidly evolving situation & more details will emerge in the coming hours," the office tweeted. "We are working closely with local officials to ensure they have the resources and support to rapidly respond to these earthquakes."

The governor's office said it is monitoring the NorCal earthquakes closely and advised residents to "remember to drop, cover, and hold on in an earthquake." Californians can also download the MyShake smartphone app to get alerts in advance of a large earthquake in their region.

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