SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – A magnitude 5.1 earthquake rattled the South Bay late Tuesday morning.
The earthquake struck on the Calaveras Fault at approximately 11:42 a.m. and was centered approximately 8.7 miles east of the Seven Trees neighborhood in San Jose, according to the United States Geological Survey. It had a depth of 4.3 miles.
The initial shake was followed by 3.1 magnitude aftershock.
Richard Allen, Associate Director at the Berkeley Seismology Lab, told KCBS Radio before the shaking began, an early warning earthquake notification was sent to Bay Area residents. "That was great to see one of our newer technologies in terms of reducing the effect of earthquakes actually working very well," Allen said.
KCBS Radio immediately began receiving calls from all over the Bay Area from people who felt the quake, from as far away as Walnut Creek and Modesto.
KCBS Radio reporter Keith Menconi said it was the strongest earthquake he's felt in the South Bay in "quite a few years."
"At first it started out a little bit mild. You just heard the shaking and the rattling and it wasn't entirely clear, was this just a big truck going by or was it something else?" he said. "It got a little bit stronger and by then it was clear, this was an earthquake."
The best course of action when you feel an earthquake is to stop, drop and hold, Allen instructed. "What we've seen in past earthquakes in California is that about 50% of the injuries are simply because people fall over or something falls onto people," he explained. Whether you feel shaking or whether you get an early warning the response is the same, you need to drop to the floor, take cover and hold onto the thing that is covering you," he explained.
The last large quake on the Calaveras Fault was the 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake in Santa Clara Valley where approximately 27 people were injured. Allen said he does not expect there to be a lot of damage from Tuesday's quake.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Related
