Residents of Northern California started the new year with rumblings as a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the region Wednesday evening.
The quake struck around 6:34 p.m. Pacific Time, with an epicenter about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of San Francisco, the United States Geological Survey reported.
It struck a depth of just over a mile below the Earth’s surface and was felt in the Sacramento Valley. according to the Merced Sun-Star.
No injuries were reported as residents described feeling the ground shaking beneath their feet.
“I actually felt it,” one X user wrote. ‘It was a rolling earthquake, lasting a few seconds.
“Usually the earthquakes here are shaking and not rolling, so it was pretty cool to feel the floor rolling under my feet.”
Another X user added that it was “pretty intense for a 4.7.”
“It was also a superficial earthquake, so that makes (it feel) stronger, but (is) usually felt more locally.”
The quake struck around 6:34 p.m. Pacific Time, with an epicenter about 70 miles (110 kilometers) north of San Francisco, the United States Geological Survey reported.
Some residents described how they felt the vibration under their feet
The USGS considers earthquakes in the 4.0 to 4.0 range to be mild to moderate, although their effects can vary based on depth, proximity to cities and local geology.
But the Northern California region is accustomed to earthquakes and has built its infrastructure to withstand heavy shaking, so a moderate earthquake like this is unlikely to cause any significant damage.
It comes less than a month after a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Mendocino County that triggered a tsunami alert.
Four days after that, a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck a remote part of the Nevada desert and was felt throughout Sacramento.