4.2-magnitude earthquake shakes Isleton area in Northern California
ISLETON — A 4.2-magnitude earthquake hit Northern California Wednesday morning in an area about 2.5 miles south/southwest of the city of Isleton in Sacramento County and about 7 miles north of Bethel Island.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake struck at 9:29 a.m. Pacific Time, and was initially reported as measuring 5.7. It was then downgraded to 4.1, then back up to 4.2. The USGS says that the magnitude reading can change over time, depending on how close the sensor is to the epicenter.
Isleton city crews have been inspecting the area for possible earthquake damage but haven't found any. Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services spokesperson Kim Nava said there were no reports of harm from the earthquake elsewhere in the county. In particular, Nava said there were no reports of damage to the area's extensive levees that protect farmland.
"The sentiments of the Delta are vulnerable to amplified shaking," said USGS research geologist Austin Elliott.
So had the earthquake been bigger, would the levees hold up? Elliott said yes since there is a lot of geotechnical engineering that goes into levee construction. The concern is if a quake hits during flood season.
"It would just exacerbate both disasters," Elliott said. "Especially when water levels are high and the soils are saturated."
That is why rumbles like these serve as a reminder to be ready for the next big one.
"It actually makes me want to rearrange a couple of things because I did see a couple of things get close," said Devin Petersen, who felt the earthquake at Java Jack's 160.
Petersen was washing dishes when she felt the water handle start to shake.
"I can feel it underneath my feet," said Petersen. "I see these shaking, so I say it's got to be an earthquake."
The glasses above her stayed on the shelves, and she said the shaking lasted about 10 seconds.
The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services says it is closely monitoring the earthquake's impacts and is working with partners to assess any damage.
CBS13 viewers reported feeling the earthquake throughout the region -- from Fairfield to Sacramento and as far away as Granite Bay. The map below, provided by the USGS, shows the general area where the earthquake happened.
Local viewers who did not feel the quake say they were startled by the emergency alert on their devices that told them to drop, cover, and protect themselves. The warning came from the ShakeAlert system, which detects the start of West Coast quakes and sends alerts to smartphones in areas expected to experience shaking.
The Isleton city manager said they haven't heard of any major damage from the earthquake.
At an Isleton liquor store, the earthquake has been the talk of the day -- feeling that rumbling back and forth.
"The way I see it – the shelves going like that – I thought the whole store was going to fall on top of me," said Myriam Carbajal, who felt the earthquake at Dejacks Country Store in Isleton.
Surveillance video shared with CBS13 from inside the store shows the moment things started to shake, sending bottles and a pack of cigarettes off the shelves.
Carbajal was working behind the counter at the store when things started to shake.
"You see everything moving, like not normal," said Carbajal. "That is when you want to run."
Most Californians are not strangers to shakers.
"I actually like it, but I hate the damage it does," said Julie Riley, who lives in Isleton.
Other people, like Steve Moss from Iowa, experienced their very first earthquake on Wednesday.
"I live in the second-floor apartment and the whole building shook," said Moss. "I looked to my wife and was like, 'What was that?' "
Other Isleton residents we spoke with say the earthquake woke them up.
CBS13 also spoke with an employee of Island Sports Bar and Pizza in Isleton who confirmed the report, saying there was no damage caused to their business.
The Isleton city mayor says that in his years of living there, he's never felt an earthquake so large. He said everyone in city hall took cover under doorways once they started feeling the shaking.
Some people said regardless of the size, anytime things start to shake, they go into a panic.
"It is not something I have ever experienced," said Carbajal. "I don't think I want to experience it again."
Isleton is about 32 miles southwest of Sacramento and is mostly occupied by the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
Wednesday's jolt comes just one day after the 34th anniversary of the destructive Oct. 17, 1989, Loma Prieta earthquake that rocked the San Francisco Bay region and one day before California's annual statewide ShakeOut earthquake drill.
