Earthquake bounces houses and causes damage in Fort Bragg and elsewhere

MENDOCINO CO., 12/5/24 – Mendocino and Humboldt counties were impacted by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake Thursday morning, prompting a state of emergency by the governor and a tsunami warning for much of coastal Northern California and Oregon that was later canceled.

The quake struck at 10:44 a.m. off Cape Mendocino in Humboldt County and a tsunami warning was issued by the National Weather Service that was then canceled just before noon. The 7.0 magnitude quake was shortly followed by a series of aftershocks, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Earthquake surveillance drones and helicopters flew over homes in Fort Bragg as soon as the quake struck. Damage was reported from residents all over the North Coast, such as broken glass and possible structural damage to houses. There have been no reports of serious injuries in Mendocino and Humboldt counties, according to authorities.

Residents were asked to evacuate their homes and businesses along the Mendocino Coast due to the threat of the tsunami. The City of Fort Bragg quickly evacuated residents living in the Ocean Lake Adult Mobile Home Park, just north of Pudding Creek Bridge, when the weather service announced the warning.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office issued an evacuation order for Noyo Harbor. By Thursday afternoon, now boats were deemed safe to return to the water. The Sheriff’s Office stated that the evacuation was modified to “situational awareness,” meaning that residents need to be aware of sea-level rise.

While the earthquake nearby was deemed unlikely to start a major tsunami, officials urged residents to avoid the ocean until waves subsided.

Thursday’s quake heavily impacted Northern California because of three tectonic plates located near Cape Mendocino, called the Mendocino Triple Junction, where the Pacific, Gorda and North American plates meet. This region is known for constant earthquake activity because of how the plates interact.

According to PG&E, 1,447 customers in Humboldt County had unplanned outages as of 3 p.m., mainly in the towns of Fortuna and Ferndale, as well as in unincorporated areas.

Caltrans said that all bridges have stayed open and are currently safe in Mendocino and Humboldt counties.

Gov. Gavin Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency in Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties that authorizes state agencies to enter into contracts to quickly assist any emergency response in the counties and allows fairgrounds and state property to be used for sheltering and other actions, his office said Thursday.