Strong earthquake hits California coast, triggering tsunami warning for southern Oregon • Oregon Capital Chronicle

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A powerful earthquake struck off the northern California coast Thursday morning, triggering an unusual tsunami warning for northern California and southern Oregon and prompting the evacuation of local residents and visitors.

The National Tsunami Warning Center, headquartered in Alaska, issued the warning shortly after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California at about 10:44 a.m., striking about 45 miles southwest of the city of Eureka, located about 10:44 a.m. About 100 miles south of the Oregon border. . Center officials said the quake was shallow — about 8 miles deep — and that a wide swath of coastline in the two states could be affected. In Oregon, the warning covered the area from Brookings and Gold Beach to Bandon, Port Orford and North Reedsport.

The warning, which lasted about 90 minutes, was the first since 2022, when the center issued a warning for the west coast following an earthquake in Tonga.

This time, tsunami waves reached about 3.5 inches around Arena Cove in California, said Dave Snyder, coordinator of the National Warning Center.

“It doesn't sound like a lot, but it doesn't take a lot,” he said.

He said waves slightly higher than that could cause major damage to ports.

Snyder said there were no reports of damage.

When a tsunami hits, local emergency managers and law enforcement are responsible for shepherding people in the tsunami zone to higher ground, Andy Briand, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Portland, told the Capital Chronicle.

He added: “The response must be immediate and decisive.”

Humboldt Bay in Eureka, California, pictured here on November 27, 2024, was among the locations in the warning zone. (Lynn Terry/Oregon Capital Chronicle) (Lynn Terry/Oregon Capital Chronicle)

That's exactly what happened in Brookings, where police immediately began evacuating residents near the beach to higher ground, an emergency responder told the Capital Chronicle by phone.

In Curry County, Emergency Manager Jeff Hughes directed police and firefighters in Gold Beach to sound two manually operated sirens and tell everyone to evacuate immediately.

“We didn't actually go in and start moving people,” Hughes said.

He said there was not enough time to do more than send out a countywide evacuation order and urged emergency responders to warn people in low-lying areas near water.

He said: Whoever hears him and listens to him will descend to the high places. “It's a good experience for people who are paying attention, who are already subscribed to the notification systems and are already prepared for the conditions. There are a large number of people who are not, or haven't been, and I can't stress enough, if you live on the coast, to be prepared for conditions like this.”

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department responded to the warning by closing all state park beaches.

Bryant said it usually takes 45 minutes to an hour for an earthquake to trigger a tsunami and the waves usually come in succession. He also said the fact that the epicenter is off Eureka and not the Oregon coast means the waves will move north.

“It's not like the waves are going to come perpendicular to the coast,” Bryant said. “This is likely to reduce the impact.”

Outside the immediate warning area, Linn County sent out a notice letting coastal area residents know they can seek higher ground if they are concerned, said Devon Ashbridge, Linn County Public Information Officer.

“Although Florence was not expected to be directly affected, we wanted them to be aware of this to make the best possible decision for their safety,” Ashbridge said.

The initial warning went right to the county line between Douglas and Linn counties, about 10 miles from Florence. The province issued a similar alert in 2022 during an earthquake in the South Pacific, Ashbridge said.

While the alert was limited to coastal and surrounding areas, rather than countywide, it had reached more than 22,000 contacts, Ashbridge said. However, some are duplicative because people can sign up to receive alerts via automated phone calls, text messages, or emails.

“We are of course very grateful that this did not cause a tsunami, but we know the possibility exists,” she said. “So these moments of panic are a good reminder to be prepared.”

Updated at 7:29 PM on December 5, 2024 with more information.

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