MENDOCINO CO., 7/11/26 — A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck about 7 miles north of Covelo at 6:14 p.m. Friday, the third and largest quake to hit the same area of northern Mendocino County since mid-afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
A magnitude 3.8 struck the same area at 3:05 p.m., followed by a magnitude 2.7 at 3:33 p.m., USGS records show. All three were centered 6 to 7 miles north of Covelo, the unincorporated Round Valley community, at depths of around 6 miles — shallow enough and close enough for residents to feel each one.
USGS shaking models put the strongest ground motion from Friday evening’s quake in the light range, below the level that typically causes damage. Early reports to the agency’s Did You Feel It page described light shaking. The 4.2 was reviewed and confirmed by seismologists at the Northern California Seismic Network, according to the agency’s event page.
The cluster comes with the region already rattled. A magnitude 5.6 struck north of Redwood Valley on June 24, about 28 miles southwest of Friday’s quakes, and a magnitude 3.9 hit near Alder Springs, northeast of Covelo, on July 3, according to USGS records.
The USGS had not posted an aftershock forecast for the Covelo sequence as of 6:45 p.m. Friday.
Residents who felt the quakes can file reports at earthquake.usgs.gov, where Friday evening’s event is logged as nc75393566.