Magnitude 4.3 earthquake near Berkeley shakes Bay Area overnight
By Tim Fang
Following a magnitude 4.3 earthquake in Berkeley on Monday morning, the city has experienced two other quakes, according to the United States Geological Survey.
According to the USGS, the earthquake struck at 2:56 a.m. about a mile east of Berkeley on the Hayward Fault, at a depth of 4.7 miles. Initial reports had the magnitude at 4.6, but it was later downgraded to 4.3.
One aftershock was reported following the quake, a magnitude 2.6 that struck at 8:01 a.m. A magnitude 3.0 quake was recorded around 6:20 p.m., the USGS states. The quake that struck around 6:20 p.m. was recorded about a mile away from where the 4.3 earthquake hit.
Visitors to the USGS website from throughout the region, particularly the East Bay, reported feeling the initial quake. Shaking was reportedly felt as far as the Central Valley and the Monterey Bay area.
A student named Estrella, a freshman at UC Berkeley from the Central Coast, told CBS News Bay Area reporter Veronica Macias that she felt the shaking. Estrella said at one point, she thought her bunk bed was going to collapse, as the epicenter was close.
Nick Norman, who was woken up by the quake, recalled, “My bed is shaking so my first thought was wait, see how long it lasts. And then I thought, well what if it keeps going? So I thought, where do I need to go for safety in case.”
“We definitely live in earthquake country, here in California. This is a very typical earthquake for what we would expect in the Bay Area, on one of our major faults,” UC Berkeley seismologist Angie Lux told CBS News Bay Area.
Lux has worked on the development of the earthquake early warning system, which sent out an alert following the earthquake.
There are no immediate reports of major damage or injuries. Video obtained by CBS News Bay Area showed some merchandise off shelves at stores located on Fourth Street in Berkeley early Monday.
In a statement to CBS News Bay Area, BART said ahead of the start of service that systemwide track inspections were being conducted and that the agency does not expect major delays due to the quake.
The earthquake provided a reminder to Bay Area residents to be prepared in the event of a major seismic event or other natural disaster.
“Stay prepared, San Francisco. Remember to drop, cover, and hold on when shaking starts,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement following the quake.
The USGS has offered multiple preparedness tips, including securing movable items, creating a disaster plan and organizing disaster supplies in convenient locations.
