Lafayette, Calif. – A light earthquake shook parts of the East Bay late Thursday night, with a magnitude 2.8 tremor striking roughly 8 kilometers north-northwest of Lafayette, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake hit at 10:36 p.m. local time and was measured at a depth of about 14 kilometers.
According to the USGS, the shaking originated along the complex fault network near the San Ramon Valley, a seismically active region east of the Berkeley Hills. At least one person reported feeling light vibrations, though no injuries or damage were immediately noted.
Residents in Walnut Creek, Orinda, and Concord described a brief jolt lasting only a few seconds. Emergency services did not issue alerts, but the event served as a reminder of the Bay Area’s persistent earthquake risk.
Seismologists note that small quakes like Thursday night’s are common along the Calaveras and Hayward Fault systems and often precede no larger activity. Still, residents are encouraged to review emergency kits and secure heavy furniture.
Minor aftershocks remain possible overnight, though no additional seismic activity had been detected as of early Friday morning.
