Small earthquake strikes Berkeley ahead of Great ShakeOut drill

By Tim Fang

A small earthquake jolted the East Bay Thursday morning, as people across the Bay Area were preparing for the annual Great ShakeOut earthquake drill.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.1 struck the Hayward Fault in the Berkeley area at 9:23 a.m.

Reports by visitors to the USGS website from the East Bay and parts of San Francisco reported light shaking. There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The earthquake took place about an hour before the annual Great California ShakeOut, in which people across the state are participating in an earthquake preparedness drill at schools, workplaces, homes and other locations.

Organizers said at least 10 million people across California, including 1.6 million in the Bay Area, were participating in the drill, which took place at 10:16 a.m.

A magnitude 4.3 earthquake along with several aftershocks struck the same area of the Hayward Fault on Sep. 22.