California – A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck Northern California late Tuesday, but officials say no tsunami threat exists for the West Coast.
According to the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, the earthquake does not pose a tsunami danger to coastal areas. The agency issued a tsunami information statement shortly after the quake, confirming that no further tsunami alerts or warnings are expected.
Preliminary data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) indicates the earthquake occurred at approximately 1:11 p.m. PST Tuesday. The epicenter was located about 9 kilometers east-southeast of Willits, California, in Mendocino County, north of San Francisco. The quake originated at a depth of roughly 8 kilometers (about 5 miles).
The USGS reported the earthquake’s magnitude as 4.3, with shaking felt lightly to moderately across parts of inland Northern California. Early reports suggest the quake was centered well inland, reducing any risk of tsunami generation.
The National Tsunami Warning Center stated that this will be the only tsunami-related message issued for the event unless new information becomes available. Tsunamis are generally associated with much stronger offshore earthquakes that significantly displace the ocean floor, conditions not present in this case.
While no coastal impacts are expected, residents closer to the epicenter may have experienced brief shaking. Emergency officials continue to encourage Californians to remain prepared for earthquakes, as aftershocks are possible following moderate seismic events.
For updated earthquake details, officials recommend monitoring information from the USGS and local emergency management agencies.
