An earthquake centered in Mendocino County was strong enough to shake other parts of Northern California on Wednesday, triggering emergency alerts on phones and other devices in Redding and Shasta County.
The US Geological Survey reported the temblor began at 8:10 a.m. and was centered 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) north of the Redwood Valley and the little town of Ukiah, about 7 miles southeast of the town of Willits. The epicenter is east of Highway 101 where it cuts through Mendocino County.
The earthquake reached 5.6 on the Richter Scale. That’s strong enough to knock over tall furniture and cause damage to some older buildings. There were no reports of injuries or major damage as of 9 a.m. Wednesday.
The National Tsunami Warning Center said there was no danger of a tsunami forming from the earthquake.
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The temblor originated about 5 miles (8.1 kilometers) underground in a part of Northern California known for earthquake activity.
A second 2.5 earthquake — located slightly east of the first — followed 7 minutes later, according to the USGS, and at least two more earthquakes around 2.6-2.7 in strength followed over the next hour.
Shasta County residents occasionally feel strong quakes coming from coastal areas, including ones emanating from the Mendocino Triple Junction off Cape Mendocino, according to the USGS. That’s the intersection where tectonic plates come together and interact.
Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica on Record Searchlight Facebook groups Get Out! Nor Cal, Today in Shasta County and Shaping Redding’s Future. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: 5.6 magnitude earthquake shakes Northern California north of Ukiah
Reporting by Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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By Jessica Skropanic, Redding Record Searchlight | USA TODAY Network
